“I can learn to weave; you’ll see. Anybody can learn anything if they try,” said Shenac.
“Except the binomial theorem,” said Hamish, laughing.
His sister shook her head at him too. Charmed with the “new kind of arithmetic” which Mr Rugg had brought, yet not enjoying any pleasure to the full unless his sister enjoyed it with him, Hamish had tried to beguile her into giving her spare hours to the study. But Shenac’s mind was occupied with other things, and, rather scornful of labour which seemed to come to nothing, she had given little heed to it.
“I could learn that too, but what would be the good of it?” asked Shenac.
“Ask the master,” said Hamish.
“Well?” said Shenac, turning to Mr Stewart.
“Do you mean what is the good of algebra, or what would be the good of it to you?” asked Mr Stewart.
“What would be the good of it to me? I can never have any use for the like of that.”
“The discipline of learning it might be good for you,” said Mr Stewart. “I once heard a lady say that her knowledge of Euclid had helped her to cut and make her children’s clothes.”
Shenac laughed.