eggs, and there must be a good deal of reason before this
bracelet goes on."

"I want somebody to tell me about the cameo," said Elizabeth.

"Well, won't somebody do it?"

"Mr. Landholm can't -- I haven't asked Mr. Winthrop."

"Will you?" said Rose turning to him.

"I wasn't asked," said Winthrop.

"But I asked you."

"Do you wish to know, Miss Cadwallader?"

"No I don't. What's the use of knowing about everything? Do
leave the cameos, and come over here and sit down and talk and
be comfortable!"

"It's impossible for me to be comfortable," said Rufus. "I've
got Mr. Haye on my hands and I don't know what to do with
him."

"Mr. Herder!" -- Rose called out to him, -- "do come here and
tell us about cameos, that we can sit down and be
comfortable."

Very good-humouredly the naturalist left Mr. Haye and came to
them, and presently was deep in quartz and silica, and onyx
and chalcedony, and all manner of stones that are precious. He
told all that Elizabeth wanted to know, and much more than she
had dreamed of knowing. Even Rose listened; and Rufus was
eagerly attentive; and Elizabeth after she had asked questions
as far as her knowledge allowed her to push them, sighed and
wished she knew everything.

"Then you would be more wise than anybody, Miss Elisabet' --
you would be too wise. The man who knows the most, knows that
he knows little."

"Is that your opinion of yourself, Mr. Herder?" said Rufus.

"Certainly. I do know very little; -- I will know more, I
hope."

"O Mr. Herder, you know enough," said Rose. "I shouldn't think
you would want to study any more."

"If I was to say, I know enough, -- that would be to say that I
do not know nozing at all."

"Mr. Winthrop, you don't seem as interested as the rest of
us," said Elizabeth, perhaps with a little curiosity; for he
had stood quietly by, letting even Mr. Satterthwaite push
himself in between.

"O he," said the naturalist, -- "he knows it all before."

"Then why didn't you tell me!" said Elizabeth.

"I wasn't asked," said Winthrop smiling.

"Wint'rop comes to my room the nights," Mr. Herder went on, --
"and he knows pretty well all what is in it, by this time.
When he is tired himself wiz work at his books and his
writings, he comes and gets rested wiz my stones and my
preparations. If you will come there, Miss Elisabet', I will
shew you crystals of quartz, and onyx, and all the kinds of
chalcedony, and ozer things."

"And I too, Mr. H