The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

470 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
As time passed on, this pleasing character seemed to be still more refined.
In everything like exercise or amusement, he was the pride and the leader
of the boys of the place, over the most of whom his strength and activity
gave him a decided superiority. At school his abilities were less distinguished, yet he was a favourite with the master, a sensible and useful
teacher.
" Richard is not swift," he used to say to his patron, Dr. Gray, " but then
he is sure; and it is impossible not to be pleased with a child who is sc
very desirous to give satisfaction."
Young Middlemas's grateful affection to his patron seemed to increase
with the expanding of his faculties, and found a natural and pleasing mode
of displaying itself in his attentions to little Menie* Gray. Her slightest
hint was Richard's law, and it was in vain that he was summoned forth by
a hundred shrill voices to take the lead in hye-spye, or at foot-ball, if it was
little Menle's pleasure that he should remain within, and build card-houses
for her amusement. At other times he would take the charge of the little
damsel entirely under his own care, and be seen wandering with her on the
borough common, collecting wild flowers, or knitting caps made of bulrushes.
Menie was attached to Dick Middlemas, in proportion to his affectionate
assiduities; and the father saw with pleasure every new mark of attention
to his child on the part of his protege.
During the time that Richard was silently advancing from a beautiful
child into a fine boy, and approaching from a fine boy to the time when he
must be termed a handsome youth, Mr. Gray wrote twice a-year with much
regularity to Mr. Monqada, through the channel that gentleman had pointed
out. The benevolent man thought, that if the wealthy grandfather could
only see his relative, of whom any family might be proud, he would be
unable to persevere in his resolution of treating as an outcast one so nearly
connected with him in blood, and so interesting in person and disposition.
He thought it his duty, therefore, to keep open the slender and oblique
communication with the boy's maternal grandfather, as that which might, at
some future period, lead to a closer connexion. Yet the correspondence
could not, in other respects, be agreeable to a man of spirit like Mr. Gray.
His own letters were as short as possible, merely rendering an account of
his ward's expenses, including a moderate board to himself, attested by Mr.
Lawford, his c6-trustee; and intimating Richard's state of health, and his
progress in education, with a few words of brief but warm eulogy upon his
goodness of head and heart. But the answers he received were still shorter.
"Mr. Moncada," such was their usual tenor, "acknowledges Mr. Gray's
letter of such a date, notices the contents, and requests Mr. Gray to persist
in the plan which he has hitherto prosecuted on the subject of their correspondence." On occasions where extraordinary expenses seemed likely to
be incurred, the remittances were made with readiness.
That day fortnight after Mrs. Gray's death, fifty pounds were received,
with a note, intimating that it was designed to put the child R. M. into
proper mourning. The writer had added two or three words, desiring that
the surplus should be at Mr. Gray's disposal, to meet the additional expenses
of this period of calamity; but Mr. Monqada had left the phrase unfinished,
apparently in despair of turning it suitably into English. Gideon, without
farther investigation, quietly added the sum to the account of his ward's
little fortune, contrary to the opinion of Mr. Lawford, who, aware that he
was rather a loser than a gainer by the boy's residence in his house, was
desirous that his friend should not omit an opportunity of recovering some
part of his expenses on that score. But Gray was proof against all
remonstrances.
As the boy advanced towards his fourteenth year, Dr. Gray wrote a more
elaborate account of his ward's character, acquirements, and capacity. He
* Marion.