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mermaid to give us our dinner。 I am getting hungry。 But it will be
a long time before a mermaid gets up here； I am afraid。〃
〃That reminds me；〃 said Hugh； 〃that I must build a stair for you；
Master Harry； for you are not merman enough to get up with a stroke
of your scaly tail。 So here goes。 You can sit there till I fetch
you。〃
Nailing a little rude bracket here and there on the stem of the
tree； just where Harry could avail himself of hand…hold as well；
Hugh had soon finished a strangely irregular staircase； which it
took Harry two or three times trying； to learn quite off。
CHAPTER IX。
GEOGRAPHY POINT。
I will fetch you a tooth…picker now from the farthest inch of Asia；
bring you the length of Prester John's foot； fetch you a hair off
the great Cham's beard； do you any embassage to the Pigmies。
Much Ado about Nothing。
The next day； after dinner； Mr。 Arnold said to the tutor：
〃Well； Mr。 Sutherland； how does Harry get on with his geography？〃
Mr。 Arnold； be it understood； had a weakness for geography。
〃We have not done anything at that yet； Mr。 Arnold。〃
〃Not done anything at geography！ And the boy getting quite robust
now！ I am astonished； Mr。 Sutherland。 Why； when he was a mere
child； he could repeat all the counties of England。〃
〃Perhaps that may be the reason for the decided distaste he shows
for it now； Mr。 Arnold。 But I will begin to teach him at once； if
you desire it。〃
〃I do desire it； Mr。 Sutherland。 A thorough geographical knowledge
is essential to the education of a gentleman。 Ask me any question
you please； Mr。 Sutherland； on the map of the world； or any of its
divisions。〃
Hugh asked a few questions； which Mr。 Arnold answered at once。
〃Pooh！ pooh！〃 said he； 〃this is mere child's play。 Let me ask you
some； Mr。 Sutherland。〃
His very first question posed Hugh； whose knowledge in this science
was not by any means minute。
〃I fear I am no gentleman；〃 said he； laughing； 〃but I can at least
learn as well as teach。 We shall begin to…morrow。〃
〃What books have you？〃
〃Oh！ no books； if you please； just yet。 If you are satisfied with
Harry's progress so far； let me have my own way in this too。〃
〃But geography does not seem your strong point。〃
〃No； but I may be able to teach it all the better from feeling the
difficulties of a learner myself。〃
〃Well； you shall have a fair trial。〃
Next morning Hugh and Harry went out for a walk to the top of a hill
in the neighbourhood。 When they reached it； Hugh took a small
compass from his pocket； and set it on the ground； contemplating it
and the horizon alternately。
〃What are you doing； Mr。 Sutherland？〃
〃I am trying to find the exact line that would go through my home；〃
said he。
〃Is that funny little thing able to tell you？〃
〃Yes； this along with other things。 Isn't it curious； Harry； to
have in my pocket a little thing with a kind of spirit in it； that
understands the spirit that is in the big world； and always points
to its North Pole？〃
〃Explain it to me。〃
〃It is nearly as much a mystery to me as to you。〃
〃Where is the North Pole？〃
〃Look； the little thing points to it。〃
〃But I will turn it away。 Oh！ it won't go。 It goes back and back；
do what I will。〃
〃Yes； it will； if you turn it away all day long。 Look； Harry； if
you were to go straight on in this direction； you would come to a
Laplander； harnessing his broad…horned reindeer to his sledge。 He's
at it now； I daresay。 If you were to go in this line exactly； you
would go through the smoke and fire of a burning mountain in a land
of ice。 If you were to go this way； straight on； you would find
yourself in the middle of a forest with a lion glaring at your feet；
for it is dark night there now； and so hot！ And over there；
straight on； there is such a lovely sunset。 The top of a snowy
mountain is all pink with light； though the sun is downoh！ such
colours all about； like fairyland！ And there； there is a desert of
sand； and a camel dying； and all his companions just disappearing on
the horizon。 And there； there is an awful sea； without a boat to be
seen on it； dark and dismal； with huge rocks all about it； and waste
borders of sandso dreadful！〃
〃How do you know all this； Mr。 Sutherland？ You have never walked
along those lines； I know； for you couldn't。〃
〃Geography has taught me。〃
〃No； Mr。 Sutherland！〃 said Harry； incredulously。
〃Well； shall we travel along this line； just across that crown of
trees on the hill？〃
〃Yes； do let us。〃
〃Then；〃 said Hugh； drawing a telescope from his pocket； 〃this hill
is henceforth Geography Point； and all the world lies round about
it。 Do you know we are in the very middle of the earth？〃
〃Are we； indeed？〃
〃Yes。 Don't you know any point you like to choose on a ball is the
middle of it？〃
〃Oh！ yesof course。〃
〃Very well。 What lies at the bottom of the hill down there？〃
〃Arnstead； to be sure。〃
〃And what beyond there？〃
〃I don't know。〃
〃Look through here。〃
〃Oh！ that must be the village we rode to yesterdayI forget the
name of it。〃
Hugh told him the name； and then made him look with the telescope
all along the receding line to the trees on the opposite hill。 Just
as he caught them； a voice beside them said：
〃What are you about； Harry？〃
Hugh felt a glow of pleasure as the voice fell on his ear。
It was Euphra's。
〃Oh！〃 replied Harry； 〃Mr。 Sutherland is teaching me geography with a
telescope。 It's such fun！〃
〃He's a wonderful tutor； that of yours； Harry！〃
〃Yes； isn't he just？ But；〃 Harry went on； turning to Hugh； 〃what
are we to do now？ We can't get farther for that hill。〃
〃Ah！ we must apply to your papa now； to lend us some of his
beautiful maps。 They will teach us what lies beyond that hill。 And
then we can read in some of his books about the places； and so go on
and on； till we reach the beautiful； wide； restless sea； over which
we must sail in spite of wind and tidestraight on and on； till we
come to land again。 But we must make a great many such journeys
before we really know what sort of a place we are living in； and we
shall have ever so many things to learn that will surprise us。〃
〃Oh！ it will be nice！〃 cried Harry。
After a little more geographical talk； they put up their
instruments； and began to descend the hill。 Harry was in no need of
Hugh's back now； but Euphra was in need of his hand。 In fact； she
spelled for its support。
〃How awkward of me！ I am stumbling over the heather shamefully！〃
She was； in fact； stumbling over her own dress； which she would not
hold up。 Hugh offered his hand； and her small one seemed quite
content to be swallowed up in his large one。
〃Why do you never let me put you on your horse？〃 said Hugh。 〃You
always manage to prevent me somehow or other。 The last time； I just
turned my head； and； behold！ when I looked； you were gathering your
reins。〃
〃It is only a trick of independence； HughMr。 SutherlandI beg
your pardon。〃
I can make no excuse for Euphra； for she had positively never heard
him called Hugh： there was no one to do so。 But； the slip had not；
therefore； the less effect； for it sounded as if she had