Great indeed was the amazement of certain fine young students boarding at the hotel to see Dr. Porter come into the dining-room with Eben, seat him at his own particular table, and treat him with every attention. More than one of them would have given a good deal for such a mark of consideration, for Dr. Porter was a great personage, not only in the college, but also in the society of the little town.
Eben, on his part, enjoyed his dinner very much. He had been taught "manners" when he was young, and he had something of the instinctive good-breeding of an Indian. An American Indian, however newly caught, is rarely guilty of any breach of table manners, simply because he waits to see what other people do.
"Come up to my room," said the doctor when the dinner was over. "You have time, haven't you?"
"Oh yes, sir, plenty of time. The train does not go till three fifteen, and it is only two now."
"Well, you will want to run about town a little, I dare say. However, we shall have time for a little chat."
"How many books!" said Eben, looking at the two well-filled bookcases. "I think I should be perfectly happy if I had so many books as that."
"Here is but a small part of my library," said the doctor. "These are my working tools which I use every day. Some other time I will show you my whole collection. Now, see here, Eben: suppose I render you partly happy by lending you one of these books to read; will you take good care of it, and be ready to give me some account of it when I see you again?"
"Yes, sir; indeed I will," replied Eben. "I will take the greatest care of it."
"Well, then, here is Carpenter's 'Comparative Physiology,' a stout fellow, as you see, but interesting as a romance to any one who cares for such things. Now, if you work through this faithfully, you will have made a very good beginning. Stay! You must have a dictionary of some kind. Do you know French?"
"No, sir. I began to learn Latin, and I have tried not to forget it."