nd in a deep voice said: "Is it
ignorance?"

"This is a different thing altogether," he responded; "it is not
that base superstition about which we were speaking yesterday.
Besides, learned people are not always the first to discover
trickery."

Then he thought of the superstitious, albeit educated people who
frequent the gambling hell at Monte Carlo; and stopped short.

Pierre looked at him; "Is it only ignorance?" he again asked.

"Bah," said Frank as he waved his hand with a gesture of supreme
contempt; "I don't care what it is, it's very ridiculous and
unreasonable."

The old man shook his head. "I believe what I've seen," he said.

Frank waxed hot. "You are then determined to remain in that state of
narrow-mindedness, believing in all this nonsense. But, my man, you
_must_ be miserable."

Again the stolid answer came: "I believe what I've seen."

"Listen," said Frank: "One day, when I was about nine years of age,
I was looking at a pig which had been, to all appearances, killed.
As I was about to go nearer, the brute jumped down and came running
after me. I, in my ignorance, thought it was a dead pig pursuing me,
and when my mother told me the contrary, I said as you do: 'I
believe what I have seen.'"

Quoth old Pierre: "As you say, it's a different thing altogether."

"Let us go about our work," said Frank; "we are losing our time I
fear."

His hope of converting this man was almost extinguished.

"What are my decisions coming to?" he said to himself. "I had once
determined to be an inventor, etcetera, and here I am with a face
like the tan and tomato-stained hands. When I try to change Mait
Pierre's notions, I fail. Notwithstanding, I will not be
disheartened. Knowledge is power; if I fail here, I shall not fail
everywhere."

Frank Mathers felt himself strong, rather too much so perhaps.

It is one of the defects of the self-educated, that they generally
imagine themselves much more learned than they really are. Not
having anyone to compete with, or a master to show them their
imperfections, they rather over-estimate their capacities.

There is also another disadvantage in self-culture. The
self-educated man is often only acquainted with the elements of a
great many different sciences, but it is seldom that he is
thoroughly versed in any single one. There are exceptions to this
rule. One is when the student has a decided talent for something,
and energy to pursue his studies.

Frank had stu