Despair began to settle down upon Ginger’s face.
William passed on to the third box.
“Here, ladies and gentlemen,” he said impressively, “is thirty sep’rate an’ distinct speeshees of insecks. I only ask you to look at them. I——”
“They’re jus’ the same sort of insecks as crawl about our garden at home,” said the audience coldly.
“But have you ever seen ’em c’lected together before?” said William earnestly. “Have you ever seen ’em c’lected? Think of the trouble an’ time wot I took c’lecting ’em. Why, the time alone I took’s worth more’n a halfpenny. I should think that’s worth a halfpenny. I should think it’s worth more’n a halfpenny. I should think——”
“Well, we wun’t,” said the audience. “We’d as soon see ’em crawling about a garden for nothin’ as crawlin’ about a box for a halfpenny. So there.”
Ginger, Douglas and Henry looked at William gloomily.
“They aren’t worth getting a c’lection for,” said Ginger.
“They deserve to have their halfpennies took off ’em!” said Douglas.
But William slowly and majestically brought out his fourth box and opened it, revealing rows of gorgeous butterflies, then closed it quickly.