"You see appearances are deceitful. Can you play checkers?"
"I never tried."
"You will easily learn. Shall I teach you the game?"
"I wish you would."
They sat down; and Harry soon became interested in the game, which
requires a certain degree of thought and foresight.
"You will make a good player after a while," said his companion.
"You must come in often and play with me."
"Thank you, I should like to do so. It may not be often, for I am
taking lessons in French, and I want to get on as fast as possible."
"I did not know there was any one in the village who gave lessons in
French."
"Oh, he's not a professional teacher. Oscar Vincent, one of the
Academy boys, is teaching me. I am to take two lessons a week, on
Tuesday and Friday evenings."
"Indeed, that is a good arrangement. How did it come about?"
Harry related the particulars of his meeting with Oscar.
"He's a capital fellow," he concluded. "Very different from another
boy I met in his room. I pointed him out to you in the street.
Oscar seems to be rich, but he doesn't put on any airs, and he
treated me very kindly."
"That is to his credit. It's the sham aristocrats that put on most
airs. I believe you will make somebody, Walton. You have lost no
time in getting to work."
"I have no time to lose. I wish I was in Oscar's place. He is
preparing for Harvard, and has nothing to do but to learn.
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