"
Rebecca paused and looked up at me with that pitifully beseeching
expression in her eyes.
"Oh, yes," I answered, still carelessly; "no doubt I shall be a great
burden to you in time. But you do help me now, dear, by your conduct in
school. You helped me this morning when you boxed Lemuel Biddy's ears.
I shall have to take boxing lessons of you."
"You be the scholar," Rebecca answered quickly, her lips parting again
with a merry outburst of laughter.
"Wretch!" said I, well pleased but affecting a tone of deep severity;
"you must not be saucy to your teacher! I shall keep you in the rest of
your recess for that.
"Do you like to study, Rebecca?" I added presently.
"No-o," said she, much abashed at the admission, and yet evidently
incapable of speaking otherwise than according to the simple dictates of
her conscience. "I don't think I should care anything about it if it
didn't make you so dull not to. I mean," she continued; "perhaps I might
'a' liked it if I'd been to school right along, but we never did. And I
was to the mills up to Taunton. I didn't stay long there. Then mother was
sick. They don't any of the scholars be let to go very regular.
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