The family atmosphere was a little oppressive the next morning; and after breakfast Mr. and Mrs. Dallas both disappeared. Betty seized her opportunity, and reminded Pitt that he had never showed her his particular room, his old workshop and play place. 'It was not much to see,' he said; however, he took her through the house, and up the open flight of steps, where long ago Esther had been used to go for her lessons. The room looked much as it had done at that time; for during Pitt's stay at home he had pulled out one thing after another from its packing or hiding place; and now, mounted birds and animals, coins, shells, minerals, presses, engravings, drawings, and curiosities, made a delightful litter; delightful, for it was not disorderly; only gave one the feeling of a wealth of tastes and pursuits, every one of them pursued to enjoyment. Betty studied the place and the several objects in it with great and serious attention. 'And you understand all these things!' said she. 'So little, that I am ashamed to speak of it.' 'I know!' said Betty; 'that is what nobody says whose knowledge is small. It takes a good deal of knowing to perceive how much one does _not_ know.' 'That is true.' 'And what becomes of all these riches when you are gone away?' 'They remain in seclusion. I must pack them up to-day. It is a job I have reserved to the last, for I like to have them about while I am here.' He began as he spoke to put away some little articles, and got out paper to wrap up others. 'And how came you by all these tastes? Mr. and Mrs. Dallas do not share them, I think.' 'No. Impossible to say. Inherited from some forgotten ancestor, perhaps.' 'Were there ever any Independents or Puritans among your ancestors?' 'No!' said Pitt, with a laughing look at her. 'The record is clean, I believe, on both sides of the house. My mother has not that on her conscience.' 'But you sympathize with such supposititious ancestors?' 'Why do you say so?' 'Mr. Pitt,' said Betty, sitting down and folding her hands seriously in her lap, 'I wish you would let me ask you one thing.' 'Ask it certainly,' said he. 'But it is really not my business; only, I am puzzled, and interested, and do not know what to think. You will not be displeased?' 'I think I can answer for that.' 'Then do tell me why, when you are just going away and cannot carry it on, you should have done what you did last night?' 'As I am just going away, don't you see, it was my only chance.' 'But I do not understand why you did it. You knew it would be something like an earthquake; and what is the use of earthquakes?' 'You remember the Eastern theory--Burmese, is it? or Siamese?--according to which the world rests on the heads of four elephants; when one of the elephants shakes his head, there is an earthquake. But must not the elephant therefore move his head?' 'But the world does not rest on _your_ head.'