ings that he came for, his eye was
attracted by so many articles more curious and more interesting. There
were big rules of-three kettles, simple, inverse, and compound;
reduction grinding-machines, and tables of weights of every species and
size. There were innumerable instruments of various kinds that were
known by the name of fractions; Dick did not exactly know their use, but
they looked like instruments of torture. In an inner compartment of the
place great machines were fizzing and whizzing, pistons rising and
falling, wheels rolling and rumbling; that part belonged especially to
Mr. Mathematics, and many of his partner's customers never entered that
wing of the building.

"What do you require here?" said Mr. Arithmetic, a man dressed in
iron-gray clothes, with a face which looked dry and hard as one of his
own kettles, above which was a shock of iron-gray hair, which gave him
rather a formidable appearance.

"I want to buy four little grates, to put in my house," said Dick,
standing with his hand on his hip, and speaking in an easy tone, to show
that he was not afraid of Mr. Arithmetic.

"I understand: my four first sums--Addition, Multiplication, Division,
and Subtraction;" and the learned ironmonger pointed to a pile of some
hundreds of the articles required by Dick.

"They are such simple, light little things," observed the boy, "that
I'll carry off a couple with ease."

"As far as mere weight goes," said Pride, "you might bear away all four
at once; but they are rather awkward to hold, and, if I understood you
aright, you are obliged to carry all your purchases yourself."

"Ay," observed Mr. Arithmetic with a grim smile, "when the Prince of
Wales himself came to shop in our town, he was obliged to be his own
porter. Governesses and tutors may pack up the loads, but the pupils
have the carrying after all."

"I certainly could manage two grates at once," observed Dick.

"I would advise you to be content with one at a time," said Arithmetic,
"and come for the second to-morrow."

"Pick me out four good ones, not too small," cried Dick, trying to speak
with an air of command; "I'll walk in further with my comrade, and have
a look at yonder machines."

"Don't go too near those in work," said Mr. Arithmetic to Dick; "little
boys may get into trouble if they meddle with things that they don't
understand."

"Perhaps I can understand rather more than he supposes," muttered Dick,
walking with head erect, a