“Sic transit gloria mundi,” interrupted Walter laughingly.
“That’s jes’ exackly what I said,” declared Silas. “I didn’t know no more what they mean than ’s if they been words that Julius Cæsar spoke.”
“Perhaps he did,” said Walter. “They are Latin words.”
“Ye don’t tell me. Well, Mr. Borden, I couldn’t make head nor tail t’ ’em. A ‘sick transum’ an’ ‘Monday’ was all th’ sense there was. But that boy o’ yourn he come ’long an’, sir, he read ’em jes’ ’s easy ’s if he was fallin’ off a log. Yes, sir. Now, ye see, he had th’ education and I had none.”
“What did Walter say the words meant?” inquired Mr. Borden dryly.
“I disremember, but it was something ’bout glory.”
“Do you think Walter or Dan could mend a horse-collar?”
“Dan might; I’m not so sure o’ your boy, that is, jes’ at th’ present time. Course he could learn.”
“Then he’d be better educated after he had learned.”
“Sewin’ horse-collars isn’t education!” sniffed Silas.