"That's _nice_," said Tode, heartily. Whereat the gray eyes opposite looked wonderingly at him. "I like that. Now, what do they say?" "Oh they just pray a little simple word--just to say thank you to the Lord, you know." "And do you want me to do it?" "Well, I think it would be nice and proper like, if you felt like it." Reverently Tode closed his eyes, and reverently and simply did he offer his thanksgiving. "O Lord, we thank you for this bread and butter and tea." Then he commenced at once on the subject of his thoughts. Conversation addressed to Winny. "Do you go to school?" "Yes." "What kind of a place is school?" "Nice enough place if you want to learn, stupid if you don't." "Do you want to learn?" "Some." "Well, what do you learn?" "Reading, spelling, writing, geography, arithmetic, and grammar." "My! What are _all_ them things?" "Don't you know what reading is?" "Yes, I know them first three; but what's the long words?" "Well, geography is about the earth." "Earth? What do you mean, dirt?" "Some--and some water, and some hills, and rivers, and cities, and mountains." "But you can see all them things." "Well, it tells you more than you can see." "And what's t'other?" "Arithmetic is about figures. What are you asking me so many questions for?--didn't you ever go to school?" "Never did in all my life, not an hour. Now go on about the figures." "Well, all about them--how to add and multiply, and subtract and divide, and fractions." "Never heard of one of 'em," said Tode, with a little sigh. "What be they all for?" "Why so you can buy things and sell them, and keep accounts, and everything." "Then I ought to know 'em, 'cause that's what I'm doing. Do you know 'em?" "I'm studying arithmetic, and I'm as far as fractions." "Will you show 'em to me?" "Mother," said Winny, turning despairing eyes on the attentive old lady, "he's such a funny boy. I don't know what to make of him." "He wants to study and learn, deary, don't you see?" "I think that's just as nice as can be," she added, turning to Tode. "Winny, she's a great scholar, keeps to the head of her class all the time, most, and she studies evenings, and you could get out your book, and she would show you all about things, couldn't you, deary?" "I don't care," said Winny, listlessly. "Yes, I might if he wants to learn, and if he won't bother me too much."