"But it's the Bible," she objected.
"Oh, well, I don't mind. Only choose something interesting. David and
Goliath, or that shipwreck in the Acts."
"You don't seem to understand that this is a lesson, and I must read what Mr. Hichens sets. To-day it's about Hagar and Ishmael."
"I seem to forget about them; but fire away, and we'll hope there's a story in it."
Ruth began to read: "And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking her. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman. . ."
She read on. Before she ended Dicky had raised himself to a sitting posture. "The whole business was a dirty shame," he declared. "This Ishmael was his own son, eh? Then why should he cast out one son more than another?"
"There's a long explanation in the New Testament," said Ruth. "It's by St. Paul; and I dare say that Mr. Hichens too, if he sees anything difficult in it, will say that Ishmael stands for the bond and Isaac for the free, and Abraham had to do it, or the teaching wouldn't come right."
"He can't make out it was fair; nor St. Paul can't neither, not if you read it to him like you did to me," asserted Dicky.
"But I shall not," answered Ruth after a pause, "and it was rather clever of you to guess."
"Why not?"