Ben rather startled at so strange a salutation, replied, that he had _dream't_ in his time.--_Well_, continued the old woman, _and what do you think of dreams; do you put any faith in 'em?_
Why, no, madam, answered Ben; as I have seldom had dreams except after taking too hearty a supper, I have always looked on 'em as a mere matter of indigestion, and so have never troubled my head much about 'em.
_Well now_, replied the old lady, laughing, _there's just the difference between you and me. I, for my part, always takes great notice of dreams, they generally turn out so true._ And now can you tell what a droll dream I had last night?
Ben answered that he was no Daniel to interpret dreams.
Well, said the old lady, I dreamed last night, that a little man just like you, came along here and bought that old book of me.
Aye! why that's a droll dream sure enough, replied Ben; and pray, Madam, what do you ask for your old book?
_Only four pence halfpenny_, said the old lady.
Well, Madam, continued Ben, as your dreaming has generally, as you say, turned out true, it shall not be otherwise now; _there's your money_--so now as you have another reason for putting faith in dreams, you can dream again.
As Ben took up his book to go away, the old lady said, stop a minute, my son, stop a minute. I have not told you the whole of my dream yet. Then looking very gravely at him, she said, But though my dream showed that the book was to be bought by a _little_ man, it did not say he was always to be little. No; for I saw, in my dream, that he grew up to be a GREAT man; the lightnings of heaven played around his head, and the shape of a kingly crown was beneath his feet. I heard his name as a pleasant sound from distant lands, and I saw it through clouds of smoke and flame, among the tall victor ships that strove in the last battle for the freedom of the seas. She uttered this with a raised voice and glowing cheek, as though the years to come, with all their mighty deeds, were passing before her.
Ben was too young yet to suspect who this old woman was, though he felt as he had read the youthful Telemachus did, when the fire-eyed Minerva, in the shape of Mentor, roused his soul to virtue.
Farewell, Madam, said Ben with a deep sigh, as he went away; you might have spared that part of your dream, for I am sure there is very little chance of its ever coming to pass.