construing twice a week, and twice a week he sent them back to me
corrected, with marginal notes of instruction. That is how I
learnt my Latin and Greek, such as it is. He is not responsible
for my scanning. He has never heard me scan a line.'

'A novel case, and a singular instance of patience!' cried the
vicar.

'On his part, not on mine. Ah, Henry Knight is one in a thousand!
I remember his speaking to me on this very subject of
pronunciation. He says that, much to his regret, he sees a time
coming when every man will pronounce even the common words of his
own tongue as seems right in his own ears, and be thought none the
worse for it; that the speaking age is passing away, to make room
for the writing age.'

Both Elfride and her father had waited attentively to hear Stephen
go on to what would have been the most interesting part of the
story, namely, what circumstances could have necessitated such an
unusual method of education. But no further explanation was
volunteered; and they saw, by the young man's manner of
concentrating himself upon the chess-board, that he was anxious to
drop the subject.

The game proceeded. Elfride played by rote; Stephen by thought.
It was the cruellest thing to checkmate him after so much labour,
she considered. What was she dishonest enough to do in her
compassion? To let him checkmate her. A second game followed; and
being herself absolutely indifferent as to the result (her playing
was above the average among women, and she knew it), she allowed