"I think we must forgive Mr. Crashaw, you know, Mrs. Stott. As I understand it, your boy at the age of four years and a half has defied--his cloth, if I may say so." He paused, and as he received no answer, continued: "But I hope that matter may be easily arranged." "Thank you, sir," said Mrs. Stott. "It's very kind of you. I'm sure, I'm greatly obliged to you, sir." "That's only one reason of my visit to you, however," Challis hesitated. "I've been wondering whether I might not be able to help you and your son in some other way. I understand that he has unusual power of--of intelligence." "Indeed 'e 'as, sir," responded Mrs. Stott. "And he can read, can't he?" "I've learned 'im what I could, sir: it isn't much." "Well, perhaps I could lend him a few books." Challis made a significant pause, and again he looked at the boy; but as there was no response, he continued: "Tell me what he has read." "We've no books, sir, and we never 'ardly see a paper now. All we 'ave in the 'ouse is a Bible and two copies of Lillywhite's cricket annual as my 'usband left be'ind." Challis smiled. "Has he read those?" he asked. "The Bible 'e 'as, I believe," replied Mrs. Stott. It was a conversation curious in its impersonality. Challis was conscious of the anomaly that he was speaking in the boy's presence, crediting him with a remarkable intelligence, and yet addressing a frankly ignorant woman as though the boy was not in the room. Yet how could he break that deliberate silence? It seemed to him as though there must, after all, be some mistake; yet how account for Crashaw's story if the boy were indeed an idiot? With a slight show of temper he turned to the Wonder. "Do you want to read?" he asked. "I have between forty and fifty thousand books in my library. I think it possible that you might find one or two which would interest you." The Wonder lifted his hand as though to ask for silence. For a minute, perhaps, no one spoke. All waited, expectant; Challis and Lewes with intent eyes fixed on the detached expression of the child's face, Ellen Mary with bent head. It was a strange, yet very logical question that came at last: "What should I learn out of all them books?" asked the Wonder. He did not look at Challis as he spoke. IV Challis drew a deep breath and turned towards Lewes. "A difficult question, that, Lewes," he said. Lewes lifted his eyebrows and pulled at his fair moustache. "If you take the question literally," he muttered. "You might learn--the essential part ... of all the knowledge that has been ... discovered by mankind," said Challis. He phrased his sentence carefully, as though he were afraid of being trapped. "Should I learn what I am?" asked the Wonder.