“It is more than I am aware of,” replied Newton, much pleased with the information. “I am much obliged to you for the intelligence, as I am for your many other acts of kindness.”
“Well, so you ought to be; it’s no bad thing, as I told you before, to find out an uncle. By-the-bye, there has been some alteration in my establishment since we parted, nephew. I have a house in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, and a spare bed, if you will accept of it. We dine at six; brother Nicholas, I shall be very happy to see you, if you can stay. It will be too late to go home after dinner, but you can share my nephew’s bed.”
“I shall be most happy to accept your kind offer for a few days, sir, if it does not incommode you,” replied Newton.
“No; you will not incommode me there, but you do very much here, where I am always busy. So good-bye, my boy; I shall be at home at six. Brother Nicholas, you did not vouchsafe me an answer.”
“About what, brother John?” replied Nicholas, who had been in the clouds.
“Oh, I’ll tell you all about it, father,” said Newton, laughing. “Come away now—my uncle is busy.” And Nicholas rose up, with the observation—
“Brother John, you appear to me to read a great deal.”
“Yes, I do, brother.”
“How much do you read a day?”
“I really cannot say; much depends upon whether I am interrupted or not.”