"I always heard you were pretty comfortable."
"So I am," said the old lady, "and maybe I save something; but my income aint as great as yours."
"You have only yourself to look after, and it is cheap living in
Centreville."
"I don't fling money away. I don't spend quarter as much as you on dress."
Looking at the old lady'a faded bombazine dress, Ferdinand was very ready to believe this.
"You don't have to dress here, I suppose," he answered. "But, aunt, we won't talk about money matters just yet. It was funny you took me for a book-pedler."
"It was that book you had, that made me think so."
"It's a book I brought as a present to you, Aunt Deborah."
"You don't say!" said the old lady, gratified. "What is it? Let me look at it."
"It's a copy of 'Pilgrim's Progress,' illustrated. I knew you wouldn't like the trashy books they write nowadays, so I brought you this."