them. One teacher we had four years ago used to lock them in and
go home. Then he'd go back in an hour and let them out--if they
were there. They weren't always. Tom Ferguson kicked the panels
out of the old door once and got out that way. We put a new door
of double plank in that they couldn't kick out."

"I stayed in the schoolroom to do some work," said Eric briefly.

"Well, you've missed Alexander Tracy. He was here to find out if
you could play checkers, and, when I told him you could, he left
word for you to go up and have a game some evening soon. Don't
beat him too often, even if you can. You'll need to stand in
with him, I tell you, Master, for he's got a son that may brew
trouble for you when he starts in to go to school. Seth Tracy's
a young imp, and he'd far sooner be in mischief than eat. He
tries to run on every new teacher and he's run two clean out of
the school. But he met his match in Mr. West. William Tracy's
boys now--you won't have a scrap of bother with THEM. They're
always good because their mother tells them every Sunday that
they'll go straight to hell if they don't behave in school. It's
effective. Take some preserve, Master. You know we don't help
things here the way Mrs. Adam Scott does when she has boarders,
'I s'pose you don't want any of this--nor you--nor you?' Mother,
Aleck says old George Wright is having the time of his life. His
wife has gone to Charlottetown to visit her sister and he is his
own boss for the first time since he was married, forty years
ago. He's on a regular orgy, Aleck says. He smokes in the
parlour and sits up till eleven o'clock reading dime novels."

"Perhaps I met Mr. Tracy," said Eric. "Is he a tall man, with