‘And how did he teach you?’

‘He knocked us about,’ said Paul, drawing his shoulders together with an unpleasant recollection; ’he wasn’t so bad to me, because I liked getting my tasks, and when he was in a good humour, he’d say I was a credit to him, and order me in to read to him in the evening.’

‘And when he was not?’

’That was when he’d been out.  They said he’d been at the gin-shop; but he used to be downright savage,’ said Paul.  ’At last he never thought it worth while to teach any lessons but mine, and I used to hear the other classes; but the inspector came all on a sudden, and found it out one day when he’d hit a little lad so that his nose was bleeding, and so he was sent off.’

‘How long ago was this?’

‘Going on for a year,’ said Paul.

‘Didn’t the inspector want you to go to a training-school?’ said Alfred.

‘Yes; but the Guardians wouldn’t hear of it.’

‘Did you wish it?’ asked Mr. Cope.

‘I liked my liberty, Sir,’ was the answer; and Paul looked down.

‘Well, and what you do think now you’ve tried your liberty?’

Paul didn’t make any answer, but finding that good-humoured face still waiting, he said slowly, ’Why, Sir, it was well-nigh the worst of all to find I was getting as stupid as the cows.’

Mr. Cope laughed, but not so as to vex him; and added, ’So that was the way you learnt to be a reader, Paul.  Can you tell me what books you used to read to this master?’

Paul paused; and Alfred said, ’"Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” Sir; he told us the story of that.’

‘Yes,’ said Paul; ’but that wasn’t all:  there was a book about Paris, and all the people in the back lanes there; and a German prince who came, and was kind.’

‘You must not tell them stories out of that book, Paul,’ said Mr. Cope quickly, for he knew it was a very bad one.

‘No, Sir,’ said Paul; ’but most times it was books he called philosophy, that I couldn’t make anything of—­no story, and all dull; but he was very savage if I got to sleep over them, till I hated the sight of them.’

‘I’m glad you did, my poor boy,’ said Mr. Cope.  ’But one thing more.  Tell me how, with such a man as this, you could have learnt about the Bible and Catechism, as you have done.’

‘Oh,’ said Paul, ’we had only the Bible and Testament to read in the school, because they were the cheapest; and the chaplain asked us about the Catechism every Sunday.’

‘What was the chaplain’s name?’

Paul was able, with some recollection, to answer; but he knew little about the clergyman, who was much overworked, and seldom able to give any time to the paupers.

Three days after, Mr. Cope again came into the post-office.