Then it struck me that the conversation was becoming a trifle inane, and I tried to make things more interesting. "My velocipede is out in front of the house now,--you can come out and see it, if you want to." But Miss Carew thought she would defer that pleasure till another time. Mr. Dennett took the witness. "Do you go to school, Sam?" Really, it seemed that he might have done better than that. I had that question asked me about five hundred times a year by grown-ups. Evidently this Harvard was not the place I had thought. But I answered him. "Not now: it's vacation." "Yes, I know. But you go when it isn't vacation?" "Oh, yes." "What school,--the Jackman?" "No; the Kelley." "Oh! Whose room?" "Last year I was in Miss Temple's, an' next I'll be in Miss Philipps's." I had apparently satisfied Mr. Dennett's curiosity, for he relapsed into silence. There was a long pause, while I swung my legs, and looked at them expectantly. I was quite ready to answer more questions if they had them to put. They did not seem to think of any point on which they required information for two or three minutes. Then Mr. Dennett did make an inquiry,--or, rather, a suggestion. "Perhaps your mother may want you for something, Sam?" But I was able to set his mind at rest instantly. "Oh, no; she don't want me till one o'clock, an' it's only half-past ten, now." "Later than that, isn't it?" "No, sir. I saw the 'Piscopal clock when I came by." He seemed to be relieved at this, but presently he had another question to ask: "Do you care for blackberries, Sam?" "Yes! Have you got any?" "There are some down the hill, there,--against the fence. Why don't you go and get them?" "Thank you,--shall I bring some of them back to you?" "No,--just eat 'em yourself, and have a good time." This was by far the most sensible thing he had said, and I hurried down to the blackberry bushes. But when I got to them, and inspected the long, thorny branches, I found that my expectations were to be disappointed. If there had been any good berries they had been picked. All that remained were unripe. I hurried back to the summer-house, and burst in upon its occupants. They seemed to be having some kind of a misunderstanding: Miss Carew had a book in her hands, which Mr. Dennett was trying to take from her. "Hullo! Back already? What was the matter with the blackberries,--are they green?" "No," I replied, "they are red,--but they're red when they're green, you know." And I climbed back to my former place on the bench opposite them. Immediately, Mr. Dennett became concerned about my velocipede. "Did you leave your velocipede in the street, Sam? Aren't you afraid some one will steal it?" I laughed. "Oh, I guess not. I left it right beside your bicycle, an' there wouldn't any one dare to touch it,--would they, Miss Carew?" The lady agreed that it would require great boldness, but still, she thought, it might be well for me to go and see if it were safe.