There was a youth belonging to this family who was a year or two older
than Blue and Red. His mother, sent for him to come into the room, and
introduced him to them. He was a nice youth, but precocious; he said to
them:

"I suppose you think Chellaston is a very pretty place, but I'll tell
you what our natural beauties lack as yet. It is such a literature as
you have in England, which has done so much to endear the wildflowers
and birds and all natural objects there to the heart of the people. Our
Canadian flora and fauna are at present unsung, and therefore, to a
large extent, unobserved by the people, for I think the chief use of the
poet is to interpret nature to the people--don't you?"

Blue ventured "yes," and Red lisped in confusion, "Do you think so,
really?" but as for any opinion on the subject they had none. Sophia,
fearing that her sisters would be cast aside as hopeless dunces, was
obliged to turn partially from the praise that was being lavished on
Trenholme to make some pithy remark upon the uses of the poet.

Sophia, although half conscious of her own unreasonableness, decided now
that the Browns might go one way and she another; but she was indebted
to this visit for a clue in analysing the impression Trenholme made upon
her. His new friends had called him noble; she knew now that when she
knew him ten years before he had seemed to her a more noble character.

In the next few weeks she observed that in every picnic, every pleasure
party, by land or water, Principal Trenholme was the most honoured
guest, and, indeed, the most acceptable cavalier. His holidays had come,
and he was enjoying them in spite of much work that he still exacted
from himself. She wondered at the manner in which he seemed to enjoy