“O no,” said Miss Anne, “I was speaking of the ignorance you showed.”
“My ignorance,” said Royal, surprised. “I am sure I added it right.”
“I think it very likely you added it right,” said Miss Anne; “it was your ignorance of human nature, I was speaking of, not your ignorance of arithmetic.”
“Of human nature?” repeated Royal.
“Yes; to think that you could teach Lucy arithmetic in that way.”
“Why, I thought that that was the way,” said Royal.
“No,” said Miss Anne, “you began at the end, instead of at the beginning.”
“How?” said Royal.
“Why, you undertook to teach her to add certain sums, and you took such sums, as difficult as it was possible to make, and got out of humor with her because she could not do them at once.”
“O Miss Anne, they were not as difficult as could be made.”