to him his book sat down
and left his brother to study in peace.

The peace was not of long lasting, for at the end of half or
three quarters of an hour Winthrop had another interruption.
The door opened briskly and there came in a young man, --
hardly that, -- a boy, but manly, well grown, fine and fresh
featured, all alive in spirits and intellect. He came in with
a rush, acknowledged Rufus's presence slightly, and drawing a
stool close by Winthrop, bent his head in yet closer
neighbourhood. The colloquy which followed was carried on half
under breath, on his part, but with great eagerness.

"Governor, I want you to go home with me Christmas."

"I can't, Bob."

"Why?"

Winthrop answered with soft whistling.

"Why?"

"I must work."

"You can work there."

"No I can't."

"Why not?"

"I must work here."

"You can work afterwards."

"Yes, I expect to."

"But Governor, what have you got to keep you?"

"Some old gentlemen who lived in learned times a great while
ago, are very pressing in their desires to be acquainted with
me -- one Plato, one Thucydides, and one Mr. Tacitus, for
instance."

"You'll see enough of them, Governor; -- you don't like them
better than me, do you?"

"Yes, Bob, -- I expect they'll do more for me than ever you
will."

"I'll do a great deal for you, Governor, -- I want you to come
with me to Coldstream -- I want you to see them all at home;
we'll have a good time. -- Come!" --

"How do you suppose that old heathen ever got hold of such a
thought as this?" -- said Winthrop composedly; and he read,
without minding his auditors --

"tis d'oiden, ei to zen men ei to katthanein,
to katthanein de zen ;" *
[* Bunyan used to say, "_The Latin I borrow_." I must follow so
illustrious an example and confess, _The Greek is lent_.]
"_Who knows if to live is not to die, and dying but to live_."

"I should think he had a bad time in this world," said Bob;
"and maybe he thought Apollo would make interest for his
verses in the land of shades."

"But Plato echoes the sentiment, -- look here, -- and he was no
believer in the old system. Where do you suppose he got his
light on the subject?"

"Out of a dark lantern. I say, Winthrop, I want light on my
subject -- Will you come to Coldstream?"

"I don't see any light that way, Bob; -- I must stick fast by
my dark lantern."

"Are you going to stay in Shagarack?"

"Yes."

"It's a deuced shame! --"

"What do you make of