The Argosy — page 116: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

104 Gwen. Miss Gwen, it is to be real work, and I must have real authority over my pupil while she is under my instruction. Shall we begin at once?” Mr. Dallas had been ten years a master at Dr. Ellis’s school, having come there straight from the University. He had, therefore, known Gwen asa small child in short frocks ; and although he sometimes put the prefix ‘“‘ Miss” to her name now, in deference to her sixteen summers, yet the pet abbreviation of “Gwen” slipped out usually without it. They all called her ‘‘ Gwen,” for she was a great favourite with the whole large household, and Gwendoline would have been far too formal a name for one so bright, frank and unsophisticated : whilst her father, truth to tell, somewhat spoilt his only daughter, crediting her with talents and acquirements beyond her present possession. Gwen’s facility in making the most of what she did know, her quick wit and ready sympathy with other people’s hobbies, probably mislead him as to the extent of her knowledge. For Gwen was very frank in confessing her own ignorance ; only, somehow, nobody believed in any possible stupidity of hers ; and when she announced that she was going in for the Oxford Local Examination of course everyone pre- dicted her coming out with honours. Gwen, too, was sanguine herself, until her bug-bear arithmetic began to dawn upon her as a well-nigh unconquerable fence in the- way. A fence, however, which if anyone could help her to clear, it would be Mr. Dallas, she knew. He had such a pleasant way of putting things, and was, moreover, gifted with a keen sense of humour, which always seemed to Gwen, to have a special virtue in clearing away mental cobwebs. So the two began their new réle of tutor and pupil on this dull Saturday afternoon, in Gwen’s study, a small room adjoining the drawing-room, where she pursued her daily studies with her governess, II, “WELL, Gwen, where are we to begin?” asked Mr. Dallas, taking one of the two chairs which Gwen had placed at the crimson- covered table. ‘I must learn the extent of your ignorance as a first step, you know.” “That will be difficult to find, I fear,” said Gwen, seating herself rather ruefully beside him, with her books before her. ‘ Of course I know the multiplication table ; a parrot could learn that, I sup- pose ; but I don’t see any sense in it all, It doesn’t interest me in the least.” “ But it ought to interest you exceedingly,” said Mr. Dallas, with an air of gravity. ‘“‘Just think of the vast consequences dependent on the incontestable fact that two and two make four. But, you comicbooks.com