Still endeavouring to earn an honest, but unpleasant, penny as a
(temporary) Private Tutor. Begin to be vaguely conscious that my grasp
of the Latin Grammar is not as firm as it might be. Will my classical
training see me through, or will "ERNIE" see through my classical
training?
ERNIE (before breakfast) offers to conduct me round the grounds.
Must take the youngster down a peg or two. So, when he shows me the
stables, rather proudly, I remark, pityingly--"What! Only _three_
nags?"
"Oh, _I_ ride a pony," he replies, airily. "What can _you_ ride, Mr.
JOYNSON? _Do_ you know how to ride--or _do you generally fall off_?"
Explain to him elaborately that I am rather more at home on horseback
than on my legs. He winks, as if he didn't quite believe me. I
can't go on, as it's certainly _infra dig._ to be praising one's
accomplishments, especially to a chit like this.
"We buried NERO here," the boy says, pointing to a damp mound. "He
was our Newfoundland dog, and the gardener dropped a beam on him, and
killed him as dead as JULIUS CÆSAR. Oh, Mr. JOYNSON, _when_ did JULIUS
CÆSAR die?"