He began somehow to look gloomy.

"Elisha Peters--has freedom to go through the world on foot. Object, is
to see everything."

"Matilda Laval has it!" growled the Judge.

"Dick Morton. His capital is rifles, with powder and ball; object in
life, to kill or to hunt and eat wild beasts."

"Don't come near Matilda Lavals," said the Judge.

"Julia Simpson has no object."

"Easy disposed of," said Norton.

"Ned Forsyth agrees with Watson; Mary Fortescue sides with Lucy Ellis;
and half a dozen more with Lucy, Roswell Holt, Bill, and Miss
Bracebridge."

"Then there's only you," said Norton gloomily.

"David Bartholomew. Capital, himself and all he has, to be made the
most of. Business, to use it all for the King whose servant I am."

"What's the interest?" growled Norton, after a moment's pause. "But
stop! how are you going to use it? you don't tell your business after
all. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," said David. "The King's will, whatever that is.
Whatever he gives me to do."

"The interest?"

"That comes all along the way," said David. "But at the end--I shall
inherit all things!"

"Is that a proper way of speaking, David?" said Esther gravely.

"That's the promise," said David.

"He's an old prig, that's what he is!" said one of the boys.

"No," said David, "stop! hear me; you don't understand. In that day the
King will take account of his servants. And to those who can say to
him, 'Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds'--or 'five pounds'--he
will say, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been
faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things;
enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.' I want that."

Something about the manner of David's speech stilled the impatient
little company. David was always much looked up to and somewhat feared;
and now he had spoken with a clear and sweet business tone which left
no hold for ridicule. Nobody attempted it; and Judy saw her time was
not then and kept silence. So did the Judge; too long, some of them
thought.

"I suppose Matilda and you are in the same box," he began, "and what I
give to one of you I must give to the other."

"No, no, you mustn't!" was cried in a stream of little voices. "They
didn't say the same thing at all; you must judge by what they said."

"They both meant the same thing, I know," said Norton; "but if I must
go by what they said, then David spoke more clearly than Matilda.
Bartholomew has it."