Mr. Bennison turned over and began to go to sleep. It took a little time to get over the interruption, but soon a delicious drowsiness began to steal over him.
Going—going——
William entered the room again, still carrying his “Child’s Encyclopædia of Knowledge.”
“It says in this book what you kindly gave me,” he said earnestly, “all about Compound Interest, but I don’t quite understand——”
William was very clever at not understanding Compound Interest. He had an excellent repertoire of intelligent questions about Compound Interest. At school he could, for a consideration, “play” the Mathematics master on Compound Interest for an entire lesson while his friends amused themselves in their own way in the desks behind.
Mr. Bennison’s eloquence was somewhat lacking in lucidity and inspiration this time, but he struggled gallantly to clear the mists of William’s ignorance. At times the earnestness of William’s expression touched him. At times he distrusted it. At no time did it suggest those clouds of glory that he liked to associate with children. By 1.30 he had talked about Compound Interest till he was hoarse.
“I don’t think there’s anything else I can tell you,” he said with an air of irritation which he vainly endeavoured to hide. “Er—shut the door after you. It’s very draughty when you leave it open—er—dear boy.”
William, with the utmost docility, went out of the room.
*****
Mr. Bennison turned over and tried to go to sleep. It did not seem so easy to go to sleep this time. There is something about explaining Compound Interest to the young and ignorant that is very stimulating to the brain.