"Oh, I don't know. It's definitions, and axioms, and triangles, and things. It's a book I've got to learn in; there's no sense in it." "Go, go!" said Mr. Tulliver; "you mustn't say so. You must learn what your master tells you. He knows what it's right for you to learn." "I'll help you now, Tom," said Maggie. "I'm come to stay ever so long, if Mrs. Stelling asks me. I've brought my box and my pinafores--haven't I, father?" "_You_ help me, you silly little thing!" said Tom. "I should like to see _you_ doing one of my lessons! Why, I learn Latin too! Girls never learn such things; they're too silly." "I know what Latin is very well," said Maggie confidently. "Latin's a language. There are Latin words in the dictionary. There's _bonus_, a gift." "Now you're just wrong there, Miss Maggie!" said Tom. "You think you're very wise. But _bonus_ means 'good,' as it happens--_bonus, bona, bonum_." "Well, that's no reason why it shouldn't mean 'gift,'" said Maggie stoutly. "It may mean several things--almost every word does. There's 'lawn'--it means the grass-plot, as well as the stuff handkerchiefs are made of." "Well done, little un," said Mr. Tulliver, laughing, while Tom felt rather disgusted. Mrs. Stelling did not mention a longer time than a week for Maggie's stay, but Mr. Stelling said that she must stay a fortnight. "Now, then, come with me into the study, Maggie," said Tom, as their father drove away. "What do you shake and toss your head now for, you silly? It makes you look as if you were crazy." "Oh, I can't help it," said Maggie. "Don't tease me, Tom. Oh, what books!" she exclaimed, as she saw the bookcases in the study. "How I should like to have as many books as that!" "Why, you couldn't read one of 'em," said Tom triumphantly. "They're all Latin." "No, they aren't," said Maggie. "I can read the back of this--_History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire_." "Well, what does that mean? You don't know," said Tom, wagging his head. "But I could soon find out," said Maggie. "Why, how?" "I should look inside, and see what it was about." "You'd better not, Miss Maggie," said Tom, seeing her hand on the volume. "Mr. Stelling lets nobody touch his books without leave, and I shall catch it if you take it out." "Oh, very well! Let me see all your books, then," said Maggie, turning to throw her arms round Tom's neck, and rub his cheek with her small round nose. Tom, in the gladness of his heart at having dear old Maggie to dispute with and crow over again, seized her round the waist, and began to jump with her round the large library table. Away they jumped with more and more vigour, till at last, reaching Mr. Stelling's reading-stand, they sent it thundering down with its heavy books to the floor. Tom stood dizzy and aghast for a few minutes, dreading the appearance of Mr. or Mrs. Stelling.