"I'm sure he will see you, then. Come this way, please, into the library."
Benny followed without a word, and soon found himself surrounded on every side with books.
"Oh, my!" he said, "I think I should enjoy spending a fortnight here. I wonder how long it would take me to read all these books, and how much longer to understand them? Ay, that's the rub—understanding and remembering what one does read."
Then he ran his eye along shelf after shelf, reading only the titles.
"I expect I should feel like a boy in a sweet-shop, not knowing which bottle to start with. Ah, Wordsworth!" as his eye caught the name. "I've heard of him. I wonder what the inside is like?"
He must have found something very interesting, for when Mr. Munroe came into the room half an hour later, Benny did not notice his entrance. Mr. Munroe watched him with an amused smile on his face for about five minutes, then said,
"I'm glad you've found something to take your fancy, Mr. Bates."
Benny started, and blushed to the roots of his hair. In the first place he thought he was alone, and in the second place it was the first time that he had ever been addressed as "mister."
"I beg pardon," he stammered out at length. "I did not know you were in the room."
"Don't mention it. I'm glad to see that you are fond of books; and I'm glad to see you here."