Old Lapussa and his son John indeed had no notion whatever of the Latin tongue.

The former in his youthful days had never gone to school at all, because he was occupied in building up a business.

The latter had not gone to school in _his_ youth because by that time his people were already rich and he considered it beneath him.

The consequence was that neither father nor son had a proper idea on the simplest subjects, except what they picked up on their travels.

Still that was no reason why Koloman should not learn, but as the tutor had his hands full already with little Maksi, Koloman was obliged to go to the national school in order to become a wiser man than his forbears.
Poor Henrietta often slaved away for hours at a time with her younger brother sitting at the table by her side, helping him to struggle through the genders, declensions, conjugations, or whatever else the infernal things were called; and the end of it all was that, at last, she learnt to know Latin better than Koloman, and secretly translated all his exercises from Cornelius Nepos and the Bucolics of Virgil for him.
But we must not linger any longer over these Latin lessons, for a much more important event claims our attention--Mr.John is coming home, and we must hasten forward to admire him.
Mr.John Lapussa was a perfect prototype of the whole family.