Jane Helen Findlater > Story of a mother

THE STORY OF A MOTHER 133
a compromise. Why do you not consent to
go to college without making any farther
difficulty over it, and see how you get on
for a year. After all, Zack, you are not
overburdened with knowledge, are you ? ’
No, Zack assented, he was not—not that
he wished for more, however.
Lord Ruxton leant back in his chair looking
at the boy, with an expression half of amuse¬
ment, half of pity.
‘ You will find, Zack, that “making the best
of bad bargains” is one of the main occupa¬
tions of life, as you go on with it,’ he said ;
‘ it is so constantly all that one can do.’ Zack
groaned in assent to this assertion.
‘ Oh, it’s easy for you to say that,’ he said.
‘You have no bad bargains to make the best
of!’
‘ None—none at all,’ said Lord Ruxton; and
s omething in his voice made Zack look at him
again in surprise.
‘ At least—well, perhaps I don’t quite know
all about your bargains,’ he said. With the
quick intuition he had inherited from his