The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1867-06-07
ST ALBANs, VIZ, FRIDAY, JUNE Z, 1867.

style at Luxton would hardly suit me
under the circumstances, and possibly
fearing some banter from my father, |
left Oxford as soon as / could, and in
few days | was driving across the
country (hat and uninteresting to my
Western eyes, that led from Mudhole
Station to Gawston Flats On my ar
rival, about half-past FIVE in the even
ing, / was ushored ut once to my bed
room, and | sat down by the accepta-
bic fire to have a good warm. All at
once the Thought came into my mind,
Glow about going down to dinner {?
Is the tutor usually there Does he
wear full dress ?" The servant said
nothing about dinner time. Solving
these questions by the reflection that
a tutor was still a gentleman, and feel
ing hungry, determined to dress and
go down. SO l rang for my portman-
teau, and found that Colonel Gawston
dined at seven.
IL was dark when had arrived, but
a hurried glance had shown me that
the place was evidently gentleman &
and this impression was confirmed
when | wandered down about quar-
ter to seven, and beat about among
some doors in hallfor that which be-
longed to the drawing ropD. Taking
a lucky shot at one with a white han
die, l entered a large, well-lightcd
room A lady, not unpleasant look
ing, but dressed very severely in black
velvet, rose from chair near the fire.
"Mr. Luxton, | presume, she said
rising.
/ bowed, deriving some comfort
from the fact that She betrayed no sur
prise at seeing me
"Colonel Gawston has only Just
come in, or he would have seen You
before" she continued, after shaking
hands with me you must have had
a cold journey; pray take that chair by
the fire.
/ did SO, and we chatted on very
easily until the master of the house
joined just as dinner was announced.
He greeted me very pleasantly, per-
haps Just n little stiffly, and then /
gave Mrs. Gawston my arm, and we
went i'll to dinner | cannot say / felt
quite at my ease in my new position
but this did not interfere with nv ap-
petite, aud dinner passed off with suf-
ticient conversation going on between
the courses.
"Mr. Luxton, you VII take some
more port p said Colonel Gawston, as
he filled his glass, and drew his chair
near the fire, on the departure Of his
wife for the drawing room. followed
his example IN each respect.
eve have never had resident tutor
before, he continued, "and we are
anxious to make you as comfortable as
we can. We shall always be glad Of
your company ut dinner at seven, il
You prefer dining late, but we hope
you viii quite consult your own incl.
nation about that. Your pupil you
will see when we go to the drawing
room, | expect. de remained out
longer than did. Tomorrow we can
arrange further details, as may seem
necessary"
| shall never forget my first morn
ing over the books with my new pupil
He was a very nice boy, but with fan
too conversational tendency, / thought
as l tried hard to keep his mind (and
my OWN fixed on the work in hand
He would break off suddenly from
some heart-rendIng passage, to ask me
if had kept horses at Oxford, or if the
proctors had ever been down on me
Once or twice l found myself tripping
and only too ready to run on into tn,
unclassical conversation such ques
tons suggested, while Horace and
Euripides lay open, but forgotten, be
: fore us.
FLORENCE is coming this evening,
he said, one morning about II week af-
ter my arrival, as he was finding the
place always long businessi before
commencing to translate.
'Who2' 1 asked.
FLORENCE; my sister, you know. i
is always jollier when she is here
You ought to see her ride Most girls
are great muils, think; but she ism
bit.
heard little more of Florence
but did not see her until dinner time
We had taken our seats when she en-
tered, and hurriedly took chair OPP
} posite me. Mrs. Gawston murmureC
! the customary words, and we boweo
} across the table. The conversation
| was general as our party was so small
, Miss Gawston, who found was grown
up, and not the somewhat hoydenisl
young lady her brothers description
had led me to expect, joined in it free
", and we found several things to sa,
Z to one another across the table.
, thought her extremely pleasant | re
member, and remarkably pretty. Sh
seemed about nineteen, and had jus
returned, / found, TO my horror, iron
: visit to some friends in the West.
''My daughter tells me she met som
, Miss Luxtons while she was away
Are they any relations of yours 2
I asked Mrs Gawston. | may say tina
= that lady and | were on very pleasan
terms; but | had every evening to en-
counter the severity of black velvet {
} used to wonder whether she had bu
one dress), and to feel my teeth o.
edge if by any chance my hand touches