To instruct her nephew in the learned languages, she engaged a good scholar and a man of sense: his name--for a man is nothing without a name--was Russell{ 1}. Little Charles did not at first relish Latin; he used sometimes to come from his Latin lessons with a very dull, stupified face, which gradually brightened into intelligence, after he had talked for a few minutes with his aunt. Mrs. Howard, though pleased to perceive that he was fond of her, had not the weakness to sacrifice his permanent advantage to her transient gratification. One evening Charles came running up-stairs to his aunt, who was at tea; several people happened to be present. "I have done with Mr. Russell, and my Latin, ma'am, thank goodness--now may I have the elephant and the camel, or the bear and her cubs, that you marked for me last night?"
{ Footnote 1: RUSSELL.--This name is chosen for that of a good tutor, because it was the name of Mr. Edgeworth's tutor, at Oxford: Mr. Russell was also tutor to the late Mr. Day. Both by Mr. Day and Mr. Edgeworth he was respected, esteemed, and beloved, in no common degree.}
The company laughed at this speech of Charles: and a silly lady--for even Mrs. Howard could not make all her acquaintance wise--a silly lady whispered to Charles, "I've a notion, if you'd tell the truth, now, that you like the bear and her cubs a great deal better than you do Latin and Mr. Russell."
"I like the bear a great deal better than I do Latin, to be sure," said the boy; "but as for Mr. Russell--why, I think," added he, encouraged by the lady's smiles, "I think I like the bear better than Mr. Russell."
The lady laughed affectedly at this sally.
"I am sure," continued Charles, fancying that every person present was delighted with his wit, "I am sure, at any rate, I like the learned pig fifty times better than Mr. Russell!"
The judicious lady burst into a second fit of laughter. Mrs. Howard looked very grave. Charles broke from the lady's caresses, and going up to his aunt, timidly looking up in her face, said, "Am I a fool?"
"You are but a child," said Mrs. Howard; and, turning away from him, she desired the servant, who waited at tea, to let Mr. Russell know that she desired the _honour_ of his company. Mrs. Holloway--for that was the silly lady's name--at the words, "honour of his company," resumed her gravity, but looked round to see what the rest of the company thought.