I went to father's library yesterday and was
perfectly appalled by the number of books and subjects that I know
nothing about. The fact that I stumbled into that encyclopaedia,
which gave you the laugh against me, shows how helpless I am.
Indeed, I'm like a little child trying to find its way through a
wilderness of knowledge. I blundered on as far as Amsterdam, and
there I stopped in despair. I didn't know what was before me, and
I was getting everything I had been over confused and mixed up in
my mind. And now, Mr. Van Berg, with your thorough education and
wide experience you can tell me what to read and how to read."
Van Berg's face was fairly alive with interest, and he said eagerly:
"The favor you ask suggests a far greater one on my part. Let me
go with you through this wilderness of knowledge. We can take up
courses of reading together."
At this moment Mr. Mayhew entered, and the artist hesitated to go
on with his far-reaching offers, and, indeed, he suddenly began to
realize, with some embarrassment, how much they did involve.
But Ida maintained her presence of mind, and said, simply: "That
would be impossible, though no doubt exceedingly helpful to me.
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