"I may improve, Leila, and the price go up.

Let us go and learn to skate--you must teach me." "Of course," said Leila, "but you will soon learn.

It's hard at first." At lunch, on Christmas day, John had thanked his uncle for the skates in the formal way which Ann liked and James Penhallow did not.

He said, "I am very greatly obliged for the skates.

They appear to me excellent." "What a confoundedly civil young gentleman," thought Penhallow.