At last Mr. Hardy called for order.
"Now silence all, and listen to me. This affair is a serious
business; and although I hope and believe that we shall all enjoy
our life very much, still we must prepare for it, and look upon it
in earnest, and not as a sort of game. I have business here which I
cannot finish before another eight or nine months. Let us all make
the most of our time before we start. In the first place, the
language of the people among whom we are going is Spanish, and we
must all learn to speak it well before we leave. For the next three
months we will work together at grammar and exercises, and then I
will try and get some Spanish teacher to live in the house, and
speak the language with us until we go. In the next place, it will
be well that you should all four learn to ride. I have hired the
paddock next to our garden, and have bought a pony, which will be
here to-day, for the girls. You boys have already ridden a little,
and I shall now have you taught in the riding school. I went
yesterday to Mr. Saris, and asked him if he would allow me to make
an arrangement with his head gardener for you to go there to learn
gardening. He at once agreed; and I have arranged with the gardener
that you are both to be there every morning at six o'clock, and are
to work until nine.
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