"Well, if when you are through your education, Theo, we are out of this war and you are still of the same mind, you come to me. Who knows but you might end your days in my factories?" The boy's eyes sparkled. "Croyden and Swift--how would that sound?" "It would sound all right," chuckled Theo, "but I am afraid the sound would be the best part of it. Why, I'd never be able to learn all you know about china if I lived to be a hundred years old." "Aren't you learning things about china right now? Haven't you already learned about the pottery and porcelain of almost every nation under the sun?" "I have liked to have you tell me about it," replied Theo modestly. "Well, isn't that making a beginning?" queried the pottery merchant. "We have discussed the china output of almost every country, haven't we?" Theo reflected. "All the big countries except England." "How did we happen to leave England out?" "I guess you did not have time to get round to England," answered Theo. "Still all the time isn't gone yet, you know; you might tell me about England now." They both laughed. "I believe you are something of a diplomat, Theo," observed Mr. Croyden. "You are either a diplomat or you are a schemer. Sometimes it is very hard to tell the one from the other. In either case you seem determined to give me no peace, so I fancy I may as well tell you about English porcelain and have done with it. If I do not do it now I shall have to do it some other time, I suppose." "I suppose you will," came delightedly from Theo. "Well, here goes, then!" The elder man settled back into a comfortable position and Theo wriggled contentedly into the opposite corner of the seat. "As you can well understand," began Mr. Croyden, "the discovery of kaolin set England as eagerly to experimenting at porcelain-making as it had the other nations. Contrary, however, to other countries the English Government lent no helping hand to the industry, offering neither money nor inducements to those who would take it up. Therefore only those persons who were sufficiently interested in the new venture, and could afford to make the attempt with their own capital, dared go into it. Fortunately there were at hand some of these ambitious manufacturers. Their early experiences are interesting not so much because of the quality of their work though much of it was good, as because they were the forerunners of later workers. The paste they used was not as fine as that of the Chinese or Japanese; or in fact, that of the early Dresden or Sevres ware. Gradually, however, it became better, until now--although England turns out almost no true porcelain, that is, the scientifically blended kaolin and petuntse clays--she makes some of the most beautiful and durable china manufactured anywhere." "What is it made of?" inquired Theo, much puzzled.