'Oh, he doesn't care to be troubled,' the little girl said sadly.
'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.
'It is such a beautiful head! Wonderfully beautiful, and old. Crowned, and with a small peaked beard; but the name is so worn off. On the other side "Justitia." Queen Esther, this box is a first-rate place to study history.'
'It is. What do you say? Suppose you let me come here and study history with you over these old coins; and then you come over to my house and learn Latin with me. Hey?'
He glanced up, and Esther looked at him with a wondering, grave, inquiring face. He nodded in answer and smiled, a little quizzically.
'There was a wise man once, who said, the use of language is to conceal one's thoughts. I hope you are not labouring under the impression that such is _my_ practice and belief?'
'But would you teach me?' said the girl gravely.
'I think it would be very troublesome to you?'
'I, on the contrary, think it would not.'
'But it would after a little while?' said Esther.
'When I want to stop, I'll let you know.'
The girl's face grew intense with life, yet without losing its gravity.
'When, Pitt? When would you teach me, I mean?'
'And you'll come here to study the coins?'
'Oh! And you'll give me Latin lessons? Lessons to study?'
'And we will study history over the coins?'
'Don't you think it will be a good way? Here's a coin of Maria Theresa, now: 1745, Hungary and Böhmen, that is Bohemia. This old piece of copper went through the Seven Years' war.'