ing family these eight; especially as there was a
debtor and creditor account with four, and coals, butcher's meat, and
shoes for man and horse, had to be set against bread, tea, candles, and
the like.

One pound of tea, 3_s._ 6_d._, that was all very well; but an ounce and a
half of the same made Ellen groan, and look wildly at the corner over
Alfred's bed, as if in hopes she should there see how to set it down, so
as to work it.

'Fourpence, all but--' said a voice from the arm-chair by the fire.

Ellen did not take any particular heed, but announced the fact that three
shillings were thirty-six pence, and six was forty-two. Also that
sixteen ounces were one pound, and sixteen drams one ounce; but there she
got stuck, and began making figures and rubbing them out, as if in hopes
that would clear up her mind. Mrs. King pecked on for ten minutes on her
nail.

'Well,' she said, 'Paul's right; it is fourpence.'

'However did you do it?' asked Ellen.

'As 16 to 1.5, so 42,' quoth Paul quickly. 'Three halves into 42; 21 and
42 is 63; 63 by 16, gives 3 and fifteen-sixteenths. You can't deduct a
sixteenth of a penny, so call it fourpence.'

Ellen and Alfred were as wise as to the working as they were before.

Next question--Paul's answer came like the next line in the book--Mrs.
King proved him right, and so on till she was quite tired of the proofs,
and began to trust him. Alfred asked how he could possibly do such
things, which seemed to him a perfect riddle.

'I should have had my ears pretty nigh pulled off if I took five minutes
to work _that_ in my head,' said Paul. 'But I've forgotten things now; I
could do it faster once.'

'I'm sure you hadn't need,' said Mrs. King; 'it's enough to distract
one's senses to count so fast. All in your poor head too!'

'And I've got to write them all out to-morrow,' said Ellen dismally; 'I
must wait till dark, or I shan't set a stitch of work. I wish people
would pay ready money, and then one wouldn't have to set down their
bills. Here's Mr. Cope, bread--bread--bread, as long as my arm!'

'If you didn't mind, maybe I could save you the trouble, Miss Ellen,'
said Paul.

'Did you ever make out a bill?' asked Mrs. King.

'Never a real one; but every Thursday I used to do sham ones. Once I did
a jeweller's bill for twelve thousand pounds and odd! It is so long
since I touched a pen, that may be I can't write; but I should like to
try.'

Ellen brought a pen, and