on very quickly
during the first half-year; but Tom did not greatly enjoy the process,
though he made good progress in a very short time.

The boy was, however, very lonely, and longed for playfellows. In his
secret heart he yearned to have Maggie with him; though, when he was at
home, he always made it out to be a great favour on his part to let
Maggie trot by his side on his pleasure excursions.

And before this dreary half-year was ended Maggie actually came. Mrs.
Stelling had given a general invitation for the little girl to come and
stay with her brother; so when Mr. Tulliver drove over to King's Lorton
late in October, Maggie came too. It was Mr. Tulliver's first visit to
see Tom, for the lad must learn, he had said, not to think too much
about home.

"Well, my lad," the miller said to Tom, when Mr. Stelling had left the
room, and Maggie had begun to kiss Tom freely, "you look rarely.
School agrees with you."

Tom wished he had looked rather ill.

"I don't think I am well, father," said Tom; "I wish you'd ask Mr.
Stelling not to let me do Euclid; it brings on the tooth-ache, I think."

"Euclid, my lad. Why, what's that?" said Mr. Tulliver.

"Oh, I don't know. It's definitions, and axioms, and triangles, and
things. It's a book I've got to learn in; there's no sense in it."

"Go, go!" said Mr. Tulliver; "you mustn't say so. You must learn what
your master tells you. He knows what it's right for you to learn."

"I'll help you now, Tom," said Maggie. "I'm come to stay ever so long,
if Mrs. Stelling asks me. I've brought my box and my
pinafores--haven't I, father?"

"_You_ help me, you silly little thing!" said Tom. "I should like to
see _you_ doing one of my lessons! Why, I learn Latin too! Girls
never learn such things; they're too silly."

"I know what Latin is very well," said Maggie confidently. "Latin's a
language. There are Latin words in the dictionary. There's _bonus_, a
gift."

"Now you're just wrong there, Miss Maggie!" said Tom. "You think
you're very wise. But _bonus_ means 'good,' as it happens--_bonus,
bona, bonum_."

"Well, that's no reason why it shouldn't mean 'gift,'" said Maggie
stoutly. "It may mean several things--almost every word does. There's
'lawn'--it means the grass-plot, as well as the stuff handkerchiefs are
made of."

"Well done, little un," said Mr. Tulliver, laughing, while Tom felt
rather disgusted.

Mrs. Stelling did not mention a longer time