She found herself in the attitude of receiving information from this boy, whose boyishness, however, seemed to have evaporated, whose tone had changed with the subject, and who now spoke with the conscious reserve of knowledge.

Decidedly, she must have grown rusty in her seclusion.

This came, she thought bitterly, of living alone; of her husband's preoccupation with the property; of Susy's frivolous caprices.

At the end of eight years to be outstripped by a former cattle-boy of her husband's, and to have her French corrected in a matter of fact way by this recent pupil of the priests, was really too bad! Perhaps he even looked down upon Susy! She smiled dangerously but suavely.
"You must have worked so hard to educate yourself from nothing, Mr.
Brant.

You couldn't read, I think, when you first came to us.