"But the river will take us to it," said the boy confidently.
"Hey? What river?"
"Why this river—the Avon. It leads down to it—of course it must!"
"Why, yes," answered the old chemist after considering a while. "In a sense, of course, it does. I hadn't guessed at your age you'd be so good at geography. The Avon runs down to Tewkesbury, and there it joins the Severn; and the Severn leads down past Gloucester and into the Bristol Channel."
"I was sure!"
The boy said it in no very loud tone: but something shook in his voice, and at the sound of it all the readers looked up with curiosity—which changed, however, to protest at sight of the boy's rags.
"S—sh—sh!" said two or three.
The old chemist gazed around apologetically, closed the volume, replaced it, and shepherded the children forth.