'Oh, he doesn't care to be troubled,' the little girl said sadly.
'Ask me.'
'You! But you are not here to ask.'
'True; well, we must see. Ah, here's a pretty thing! See, Esther,
here's an elegant crown, really beautiful, with the fleurs de lys of
France, and the name of the luckless Louis XVI. "Roi de France and de
Navarre" but no date. On the other side, "Isles de France and de
Bourbon." These coins seem to belong to European history.'
'There's another box with Greek and Roman coins, and, the names of Roman emperors; but I know them even less still than I do these,' said Esther.
'Your want of knowledge seems to weigh upon your mind, Queen Esther.'
'I can't help it,' said the little girl resignedly.
'Are you sure of that? I am not. Well, I wish I knew who this is.'
He had taken up a very small coin, much less than a three-cent piece, and with the help of a magnifying glass was studying it eagerly.
'Why?' said Esther.