“But Dickens—­did he know Latin or Greek?” asked Esther.

“No, he didn’t,” said Benjamin proudly.  “That’s just where I shall have the pull of him.  Well, when I’ve got rich I shall buy father a new suit of clothes and a high hat—­it is so beastly cold here, Esther, just feel my hands, like ice!—­and I shall make him live with grandmother in a decent room, and give him an allowance so that he can study beastly big books all day long—­does he still take a week to read a page?  And Sarah and Isaac and Rachel shall go to a proper boarding school, and Solomon—­how old will he be then?”

Esther looked puzzled.  “Oh, but suppose it takes you ten years getting famous!  Solomon will be nearly twenty.”

“It can’t take me ten years.  But never mind!  We shall see what is to be done with Solomon when the time comes.  As for you—­”

“Well, Benjy,” she said, for his imagination was breaking down.

“I’ll give you a dowry and you’ll get married.  See!” he concluded triumphantly.

“Oh, but suppose I shan’t want to get married?”

“Nonsense—­every girl wants to get married.  I overheard Old Four-Eyes say all the teachers in the girls’ department were dying to marry him.  I’ve got several sweethearts already, and I dare say you have.”  He looked at her quizzingly.

“No, dear,” she said earnestly.  “There’s only Levi Jacobs, Reb Shemuel’s son, who’s been coming round sometimes to play with Solomon, and brings me almond-rock.  But I don’t care for him—­at least not in that way.  Besides, he’s quite above us.”

“Oh, is he?  Wait till I write my novels!”

“I wish you’d write them now.  Because then I should have something to read—­Oh!”

“What’s the matter?”

“I’ve lost my book.  What have I done with my little brown book?”

“Didn’t you drop it on that beastly dog?”

“Oh, did I?  People’ll tread on it on the stairs.  Oh dear!  I’ll run down and get it.  But don’t call Bobby beastly, please.”

“Why not?  Dogs are beasts, aren’t they?”

Esther puzzled over the retort as she flew downstairs, but could find no reply.  She found the book, however, and that consoled her.

“What have you got hold of?” replied Benjamin, when she returned.

“Oh, nothing!  It wouldn’t interest you.”

“All books interest me,” announced Benjamin with dignity.

Esther reluctantly gave him the book.  He turned over the pages carelessly, then his face grew serious and astonished.

“Esther!” he said, “how did you come by this?”

“One of the girls gave it me in exchange for a stick of slate pencil.  She said she got it from the missionaries—­she went to their night-school for a lark and they gave her it and a pair of boots as well.”

“And you have been reading it?”

“Yes, Benjy,” said Esther meekly.

“You naughty girl!  Don’t you know the New Testament is a wicked book?  Look here!  There’s the word ‘Christ’ on nearly every page, and the word ‘Jesus’ on every other.  And you haven’t even scratched them out!  Oh, if any one was to catch you reading this book!”