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〃How shall I find master Davie？〃 he asked。
〃He is wild to see you； sir。 When I've cleared away； just have the
goodness to ring this bell out of that window； and he'll be with you
as fast as he can lay his feet to the ground。〃
Donal rang the handbell。 A shout mingled with the clang of it。
Then came the running of swift feet over the stones of the court；
and Davie burst into the room。
〃Oh； sir；〃 he cried； 〃I am glad！ It is good of you to come！〃
〃Well； you see； Davie；〃 returned Donal； 〃everybody has got to do
something to carry the world on a bit： my work is to help make a man
of you。 Only I can't do much except you help me； and if I find I am
not making a good job of you； I shan't stop many hours after the
discovery。 If you want to keep me； you must mind what I say； and so
help me to make a man of you。〃
〃It will be long before I am a man！〃 said Davie rather
disconsolately。
〃It depends on yourself。 The boy that is longest in becoming a man；
is the boy that thinks himself a man before he is a bit like one。〃
〃Come then； let us do something！〃 said Davie。
〃Come away；〃 rejoined Donal。 〃What shall we do first？〃
〃I don't know： you must tell me； sir。〃
〃What would you like best to doI mean if you might do what you
pleased？〃
Davie thought a little； then said：
〃I should like to write a book。〃
〃What kind of a book？〃
〃A beautiful story。〃
〃Isn't it just as well to read such a book？ Why should you want to
write one？〃
〃Because then I should have it go just as I wanted it！ I am
alwaysalmost alwaysdisappointed with the thing that comes next。
But if I wrote it myself； then I shouldn't get tired of it； it
would be what pleased me； and not what pleased somebody else。〃
〃Well；〃 said Donal； after thinking for a moment； 〃suppose you begin
to write a book！〃
〃Oh； that will be fun！much better than learning verbs and nouns！〃
〃But the verbs and nouns are just the things that go to make a
storywith not a few adjectives and adverbs； and a host of
conjunctions； and； if it be a very moving story； a good many
interjections！ These all you have got to put together with good
choice； or the story will not be one you would care to
read。Perhaps you had better not begin till I see whether you know
enough about those verbs and nouns to do the thing decently。 Show
me your school…books。〃
〃There they all areon that shelf！ I haven't opened one of them
since Percy came home。 He laughed at them all； and so Arkiethat's
lady Arctura； told him he might teach me himself。 And he wouldn't；
and she wouldn'twith him to laugh at her。 And I've had such a
jolly time ever sincereading books out of the library！ Have you
seen the library； Mr。 Grant？〃
〃No； I've seen nothing yet。 Suppose we begin with a holiday； and
you begin by teaching me！〃
〃Teaching you； sir！ I'm not able to teach you！〃
〃Why； didn't you as much as offer to teach me the library？ Can't
you teach me this great old castle？ And aren't you going to teach
yourself to me？〃
〃That would be a funny lesson； sir！〃
〃The least funny； the most serious lesson you could teach me！ You
are a book God has begun； and he has sent me to help him go on with
it； so I must learn what he has written already before I try to do
anything。〃
〃But you know what a boy is； sir！ Why should you want to learn me？〃
〃You might as well say that； because I have read one or two books； I
must know every book。 To understand one boy helps to understand
another； but every boy is a new boy； different from every other boy；
and every one has to be understood。〃
〃Yesfor sometimes Arkie won't hear me out； and I feel so cross
with her I should like to give her a good box on the ear。 What king
was it； sir； that made the law that no lady； however disagreeable；
was to have her ears boxed？ Do you think it a good law； sir？〃
〃It is good for you and me anyhow。〃
〃And when Percy says； 'Oh； go away！ don't bother；' I feel as if I
could hit him hard！ Yet； if I happen to hurt him； I am so sorry！
and why then should I want to hurt him？〃
〃There's something in this little fellow！〃 said Donal to himself。
〃Ah； why indeed？〃 he answered。 〃You see you don't understand
yourself yet！〃
〃No indeed！〃
〃Then how could you think I should understand you all at once？and
a boy must be understood； else what's to become of him！ Fancy a
poor boy living all day； and sleeping all night； and nobody
understanding him！〃
〃That would be dreadful！ But you will understand me？〃
〃Only a little： I'm not wise enough to understand any boy。〃
〃Thenbut isn't that what you said you came for？I thought〃
〃Yes；〃 answered Donal； 〃that is what I came for； but if I fancied I
quite understood any boy； that would be a sure sign I did not
understand him。There is one who understands every boy as well as
if there were no other boy in the whole world。〃
〃Then why doesn't every boy go to him when he can't get fair play？〃
〃Ah； why？ That is just what I want you to do。 He can do better
than give you fair play even： he can make you give other people fair
play； and delight in it。〃
〃Tell me where he is。〃
〃That is what I have to teach you： mere telling is not much use。
Telling is what makes people think they know when they do not； and
makes them foolish。〃
〃What is his name？〃
〃I will not tell you that just yet； for then you would think you
knew him； when you knew next to nothing about him。 Look here； look
at this book；〃 he went on； pulling a copy of Boethius from his
pocket； 〃look at the name on the back of it： it is the name of the
man that wrote the book。〃
Davie spelled it out。
〃Now you know all about the book； don't you？〃
〃No； sir； I don't know anything about it。〃
〃Well then； my father's name is Robert Grant： you know now what a
good man he is！〃
〃No； I don't。 I should like to see him though！〃
〃You would love him if you did！ But you see now that knowing the
name of a person does not make you know the person。〃
〃But you said； sir； that if you told me the name of that person； I
should fancy I knew all about him： I don't fancy I know all about
your father now you have told me his name！〃
〃You have me there！〃 answered Donal。 〃I did not say quite what I
ought to have said。 I should have said that when we know a little
about a person； and are used to hearing his name； then we are ready
to think we know all about him。 I heard a man the other daya man
who had never spoken to your fathertalk as if he knew all about
him。〃
〃I think I understand；〃 said Davie。
To confess ignorance is to lose respect with the ignorant who would
appear to know。 But there is a worse thing than to lose the respect
even of the wiseto deserve to lose it； and that he does who would
gain a respect that does not belong to him。 But a confession of
ignorance is a ground of respect with a well…bred child； and even
with many ordinary boys will raise a man's influence： they recognize
his loyalty to the truth。 Act…truth is infinitely more than
fact…truth； the love of the truth infinitely beyond the knowledge of
it。
They went out together； and when they had gone the round of the
place outside； Davie would have taken him over the