The master breathed freely, when, alas for his hopes, the minister spoke
up.

"But, Margaret, do you think Bozzaris cheered his men in so gentle a
voice as that?"

Margaret smiled sweetly, but remained silent, glad to get over the
verse.

"Wouldn't you like to try it again?" suggested the minister.

Margaret flushed up at once.

"Oh, no," said his wife, who had noticed Margaret's flushing face.
"Girls are not supposed to be soldiers, are they, Margaret?"

Margaret flashed a grateful look at her.

"That's a boy's verse."

"Ay! that it is," said the old dominie; "and I would wish very much that
Mrs. Murray would conduct this class."

But the minister's wife would not hear of it, protesting that the
dominie could do it much better. The old man, however, insisted, saying
that he had no great liking for this part of the examination, and
would wish to reserve himself, with the master's permission, for the
"arith-MET-ic" class.