“Why do they say such things to us? Can we help it if we are poor? It is bad to know only the beginning of things! It is worse I think than to know nothing. Sometimes I am sorry that I went to the Parnassos!” And Aleko turned towards the window and began drawing his finger over the dust on the pane. But the old schoolmaster called him:—
“Find the Hestia,” he said, “and read to me, will you?”
So Aleko read for some time by the fading light. He read of many things, and amongst others of how a great big warship had been launched and was soon to be brought to Greece … the Averoff.
“Why do they call it the Averoff? What does it mean?”
“It is the name of a very good, and very rich man, who gave the money to build it.”
“Will it fight the Turks?” asked Aleko eagerly.
“Good grant it, my boy! And may I be alive to hear of it.”
“When it does, I will read all about it to you.”
“Thank you,” said the old man very seriously.