and hope. She believed herself a judge of verse, but in truth her
knowledge of poetry was limited to its outer forms, of which she had
made good studies with her father. She had learned the _how_ before the
_what_, knew the body before the soul--could tell good binding but not
bad leather--in a word, knew verse but not poetry.

She understood nothing of music, but George did not miss that; he was
more sorry she did not know French--not for the sake of its literature,
but because of showing herself an educated woman.

Diligent in business, not fervent in spirit, she was never idle. But
there are other ways than idleness of wasting time. Alexa was
continually "improving herself," but it was a big phrase for a small
matter; she had not learned that to do the will of God is the _only_ way
to improve one's self. She would have scorned the narrowness of any one
who told her so, not understanding what the will of God means.

She found that her guest and cousin was a man of some position, and
wondered that her father should never have mentioned the relationship.
The fact was that, in a time of poverty, the school-master had made to
George's father the absurd request of a small loan without security, and
the banker had behaved as a rich relation and a banker was pretty sure
to behave.

George occupied a place of trust in the bank, and, though not yet
admitted to a full knowledge of its more important transactions, hoped
soon to be made a partner.

When his father came to Potlurg to see him the laird declined to appear,
and the banker contented himself thereafter with Alexa's bulletins.