The sixth was a blue-stocking ; she affected to be
learned, and wrote Kikero where ordinary mortals
write Cicero, and could not bring herself to speak
of an Anglo-Saxon King Ethelbert as other than
^thelberht, and a queen Elgiva as other than
Aelfgifu.
Jeremiah turned his chair about with a sense of
loathing.
The seventh was a chatterbox, but she had no other
subject of talk than the delinquencies of her neigh-
bours; she was an inveterate fault-finder and scandal-
monger.
"No thank you," said Jeremiah, and let her pass on.
" Well," said the portreeve, " you have not cast
your glove."

" N-n-o," answered Jeremiah sadly.
" Then," said the portreeve, " I withdraw from you
the Grammar School. Leave the place at a month's
notice."

Thus Jeremiah Toope was again adrift. But how
could he choose one of those seven damsels offered to
him, when all the while before his mind's eye he saw
the pleading face of the fairy Noyalen, and her blue
eyes intently fixed upon him ?



BRAINS-IN-HIS-TOES 245

Mr. Toope walked disconsolately back to the
school-house, and began to pack up his books. What
books he had there ! What stores of stories ! Not
once had he been asked to tell any of these latter to
his pupils in the school. But then, he had not sought
to win their ears, so full was his mind of the pixies
on the moor. Presently he lit on the gold crock.
He held it in his hand, and fell into deep thought.
