They had scarcely sat down to breakfast before they heard some one come into the shop. Carry got up with a little exclamation of impatience, opened the door, and looked out.
“Good morning, Evan, what is it?”
“Good morning, miss. Could I speak to Mr. Walker?”
“Come in Evan, we are at breakfast; that is right; now shut the door.”
“What do you want, Evan?” Stephen Walker asked.
“If you please, sir, I wanted to ask you, if when you go up to town, you would get me some books for James to read.”
“What sort of books, Evan?”
“Not story books sir, but clever books about mechanics, and that sort of thing; not easy ones, sir, he is a wonderful chap at ‘rithmetic, James is, and can do any of the sums in the one we have got at home; but I have heard him say he should like to learn mathematics. I would go myself sir, and not trouble you, but Lor, I should not know which was which. I don’t want new ones, but books from the old stalls; I have heard tell, they are very cheap there. Here is ten shillings, sir; would you kindly choose as many as you can get for it, and please keep them here for me, ‘cause I want to surprise him with them?”
“But gracious, child!” Carry said, “where on earth did you get ten shillings to spend on old books?”
“If you please, miss, it were given to me, and more too, for picking a little dog out of the Serpentine, and I thought that I couldn’t do better with it than get some books for James. He is mighty clever, and he has nothing to amuse him, poor fellow, except his flowers, so he will have plenty of time to think over all these hard things.”