bread, shrimps and treacle-tart. To-night she had them all on the
table waiting for him; and she was now fussing round the house to
see if everything was tidy and in readiness for his coming.

At last we heard a knock upon the door, and of course it was I
who got there first to let him in.

The Doctor had brought his own flute with him this time. And
after supper was over (which he enjoyed very much) the table was
cleared away and the washing-up left in the kitchen-sink till the
next day. Then the Doctor and my father started playing duets.

They got so interested in this that I began to be afraid that
they would never come to talking over my business. But at last
the Doctor said,

"Your son tells me that he is anxious to become a naturalist."

And then began a long talk which lasted far into the night. At
first both my mother and father were rather against the idea--as
they had been from the beginning. They said it was only a boyish
whim, and that I would get tired of it very soon. But after the
matter had been talked over from every side, the Doctor turned to
my father and said,

"Well now, supposing, Mr. Stubbins, that your son came to me for
two years--that is, until he is twelve years old. During those
two years he will have time to see if he is going to grow tired
of it or not. Also during that time, I will promise to teach him
reading and writing and perhaps a little arithmetic as well. What