And I seemed to understand why Laddie--Laddie in his youth, strength, and manly beauty, Laddie, who boasted that there was not a nerve in his body--trembled before the Princess.
It looked as if she had set herself against him and was working for the honours, and if she wanted them, I didn't feel that he should chance beating her, and then, too, it was beginning to be plain that it was none too sure he could.

Laddie didn't seem to be the only one who had been well drilled in spelling.
I held my jaws set a minute, so that I could speak without Laddie knowing how I was shivering, and then I whispered: "Except her eyes are softer, she looks just like a cardinal." Laddie nodded emphatically and moving a step nearer laid his elbow across my knees.

Heavens, how they spelled! They finished all the words I ever heard and spelled like lightning through a lot of others the meaning of which I couldn't imagine.

Father never gave them out at home.

They spelled epiphany, gaberdine, ichthyology, gewgaw, kaleidoscope, and troubadour.