A portion of each morning was to be devoted to
study, Claude having undertaken the task of tutor--and hard work he
found it; and much did Lily pity him, when, as not unfrequently
happened, the summons to the children's dinner would bring him from
the study, looking thoroughly fagged--Maurice in so sulky a mood that
he would hardly deign to open his lips--Reginald talking fast enough,
indeed, but only to murmur at his duties in terms, which, though they
made every one laugh, were painful to hear. Then Claude would take
his brothers back to the study, and not appear for an hour or more,
and when he did come forth, it was with a bad headache. Sometimes,
as if to show that it was only through their own fault that their
tasks were wearisome, one or both boys would finish quite early, when
Reginald would betake himself to the schoolroom and employ his idle
time in making it nearly impossible for Ada and Phyllis to learn, by
talking, laughing, teasing the canary, overturning everything in
pursuing wasps, making Emily fretful by his disobedience, and then
laughing at her, and, in short, proving his right to the title he had
given himself at the end of the only letter he had written since he
first went to school, and which he had subscribed, 'Your affectionate
bother, R.
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