"Isn't he?" said Tom, rather complacently.

"Don't feel too much flattered, Tom," said his mother.

"You don't know enough to hurt you."

"He never will," said his sister, Jane, laughing.

"I don't want to know enough to hurt me," returned Tom, good
humoredly. He was rather used to such compliments, and didn't mind
them.

"No," said Mr. Walton; "I am afraid I can't spare time to come to
the examination. Are you going, mother?"

It is quite common in the country for husbands to address wives in
this manner.

"I shall try to go in the last of the afternoon," said Mrs. Walton.

"If you will come, mother," said Harry, "we'll all help you
afterwards, so you won't lose anything by it."

"I think I will contrive to come."

The examination took place in the afternoon. Mr. Burbank preferred
to have it so, for two reasons. It allowed time to submit the pupils
to a previous private examination in the morning, thus insuring
a better appearance in the afternoon. Besides, in the second
place, the parents were more likely to be at liberty to attend in