Blackford, confident of immunity from books through the long vacation, was enjoying himself thoroughly at the lake.

He was a perfectly healthy, good-natured lad, whose faults were much like those of the cheerful, undisciplined Marian.

His mother scanned the reports of Blackford's demerits and decided that he required tutoring immediately.

She thereupon reasoned that it would score with her aunt if she employed "that girl" to coach the delinquent Blackford.

It would at any rate do no harm to manifest a friendly interest in her aunt's protegee, who would doubtless be glad of a chance to earn a little pin-money.