Now that Kate had got a companion, Alec never saw her alone.

But he had so much the better opportunity of knowing her.

Miss Warner was a nice, open-eyed, fair-faced English girl, with pleasant manners, and plenty of speech; and although more shy than Kate--English girls being generally more shy than Scotch girls--was yet ready enough to take her share in conversation.

Between the two, Alec soon learned how ignorant he was in the things that most interest girls.

Classics and mathematics were not _very_ interesting to himself, and anatomy was not available.
He soon perceived that they were both fond of poetry; but if it was not the best poetry, he was incapable of telling them so, although the few lessons he had had were from a better mistress than either of them, and with some better examples than they had learned to rejoice in.
The two girls had got hold of some volumes of Byron, and had read them together at school, chiefly after retiring to the chamber they shared together.