Mara did not dare to name her new-found treasure--there was something so mysterious about that, that she could not venture to produce it, except on the score of extreme intimacy. "Come, sit by me, little Mara," said the minister, putting out his hand; "you and I must be friends, I see." Mr. Sewell had a certain something of mesmeric power in his eyes which children seldom resisted; and with a shrinking movement, as if both attracted and repelled, the little girl got upon his knee. "So you like the Bible and Roman history?" he said to her, making a little aside for her, while a brisk conversation was going on between Captain Kittridge and Captain Pennel on the fishing bounty for the year. "Yes, sir," said Mara, blushing in a very guilty way. "And which do you like the best?" "I don't know, sir; I sometimes think it is the one, and sometimes the other." "Well, what pleases you in the Roman history?" "Oh, I like that about Quintus Curtius." "Quintus Curtius?" said Mr. Sewell, pretending not to remember. "Oh, don't you remember him? why, there was a great gulf opened in the Forum, and the Augurs said that the country would not be saved unless some one would offer himself up for it, and so he jumped right in, all on horseback. I think that was grand. I should like to have done that," said little Mara, her eyes blazing out with a kind of starry light which they had when she was excited. "And how would you have liked it, if you had been a Roman girl, and Moses were Quintus Curtius? would you like to have him give himself up for the good of the country?" "Oh, no, no!" said Mara, instinctively shuddering. "Don't you think it would be very grand of him?" "Oh, yes, sir." "And shouldn't we wish our friends to do what is brave and grand?" "Yes, sir; but then," she added, "it would be so dreadful _never_ to see him any more," and a large tear rolled from the great soft eyes and fell on the minister's hand. "Come, come," thought Mr. Sewell, "this sort of experimenting is too bad--too much nerve here, too much solitude, too much pine-whispering and sea-dashing are going to the making up of this little piece of workmanship." "Tell me," he said, motioning Moses to sit by him, "how _you_ like the Roman history." "I like it first-rate," said Moses. "The Romans were such smashers, and beat everybody; nobody could stand against them; and I like Alexander, too--I think he was splendid." "True boy," said Mr. Sewell to himself, "unreflecting brother of the wind and the sea, and all that is vigorous and active--no precocious development of the moral here." "Now you have come," said Mr. Sewell, "I will lend you another book." "Thank you, sir; I love to read them when I'm at home--it's so still here. I should be dull if I didn't." Mara's eyes looked eagerly attentive. Mr. Sewell noticed their hungry look when a book was spoken of. "And you must read it, too, my little girl," he said.