Part 27 (1/2)
”You're a big boy of your age,” said Ida. ”My cousin d.i.c.k is a year older than you, but he isn't as large.”
d.i.c.k looked pleased. Boys generally like to be told that they are large of their age.
”How old be you?” asked d.i.c.k, beginning to feel more at his ease.
”I'm nine years old,” said Ida. ”I go to Miss Jarvis's school. I've just begun to learn French. Do you know French?”
”Not enough to hurt me,” said d.i.c.k.
Ida laughed again, and told him that he was a droll boy.
”Do you like it?” asked d.i.c.k.
”I like it pretty well, except the verbs. I can't remember them well. Do you go to school?”
”I'm studying with a private tutor,” said d.i.c.k.
”Are you? So is my cousin d.i.c.k. He's going to college this year. Are you going to college?”
”Not this year.”
”Because, if you did, you know you'd be in the same cla.s.s with my cousin. It would be funny to have two d.i.c.ks in one cla.s.s.”
They turned down Twenty-fourth Street, pa.s.sing the Fifth Avenue Hotel on the left, and stopped before an elegant house with a brown stone front. The bell was rung, and the door being opened, the boys, somewhat abashed, followed Mr. Greyson into a handsome hall. They were told where to hang their hats, and a moment afterwards were ushered into a comfortable dining-room, where a table was spread for dinner.
d.i.c.k took his seat on the edge of a sofa, and was tempted to rub his eyes to make sure that he was really awake. He could hardly believe that he was a guest in so fine a mansion.
Ida helped to put the boys at their ease.
”Do you like pictures?” she asked.
”Very much,” answered Henry.
The little girl brought a book of handsome engravings, and, seating herself beside d.i.c.k, to whom she seemed to have taken a decided fancy, commenced showing them to him.
”There are the Pyramids of Egypt,” she said, pointing to one engraving.
”What are they for?” asked d.i.c.k, puzzled. ”I don't see any winders.”
”No,” said Ida, ”I don't believe anybody lives there. Do they, papa?”
”No, my dear. They were used for the burial of the dead. The largest of them is said to be the loftiest building in the world with one exception. The spire of the Cathedral of Strasburg is twenty-four feet higher, if I remember rightly.”
”Is Egypt near here?” asked d.i.c.k.
”Oh, no, it's ever so many miles off; about four or five hundred.
Didn't you know?”
”No,” said d.i.c.k. ”I never heard.”
”You don't appear to be very accurate in your information, Ida,”