He has taken the place of my father." "Hum!" Tom said dubiously; and then, with a little pang at his heart, "Do you like Ezra Girdlestone too ?" "No, indeed," cried his companion with energy.

"I don't like him in the least.

He is a cruel, bad-hearted man." "Cruel! You don't mean cruel to you, of course." "No, not to me.

I avoid him as much as I can, and sometimes for weeks we hardly exchange a word.

Do you know what he did the other day?
It makes me shudder even to think of it.