"The story of a man who was halt and maimed and crippled from his birth--a tongue-tied poet and a paralysed artist.

The story is a sad one, Miss Templeton, but it will keep." Elizabeth's eyes danced with amusement.

She began to have an idea of his meaning.
"I rather think you are a humourist, Mr.Herrick." And then Malcolm laughed, and after that they fell into quite an interesting conversation.

Elizabeth turned the subject to her own ignorance, and begged Malcolm to tell her what books she ought to read.
"Dinah puts me to shame," she observed frankly.

"She reads all the best books, and she often tries to persuade me to follow her example.