Tom seized the book and opened it with a determined and business-like air as much as to say that he had a lesson to learn which no donkeys would find themselves equal to. Maggie, rather piqued, turned to the bookcases to amuse herself with puzzling out the titles.
Presently Tom called to her: `Here, Magsie, come and hear if I can say this. Stand at that end of the table, where Mr Stelling sits when he hears me.'
Maggie obeyed and took the open book.
`Where do you begin, Tom?'
`O, I begin at `Appellativa arborum,' because I say all over again what I've been learning this week.'
Tom sailed along pretty well for three lines; and Maggie was beginning to forget her office of prompter, in speculating as to what mas could mean, which came twice over, when he stuck fast at Sunt etiam volucrum.
`Don't tell me, Maggie; Sunt etiam volucrum... Sunt etiam volucrum... ut ostrea, cetus... '
`No,' said Maggie, opening her mouth and shaking her head.
`Sunt etiam volucrum,' said Tom, very slowly, as if the next words might be expected to come sooner, when he gave them this strong hint that they were waited for.
`C, e, u,' said Maggie, getting impatient.
`O, I know - hold your tongue,' said Tom. `Ceu passer, hirundo, ferarum... ferarum... ' Tom took his pencil and made several hard dots with it on his book-cover... `ferarum... '
`O dear, O dear Tom,' said Maggie, `what a time you are! Ut... '
`Ut, ostrea... '
`No, no,' said Maggie, `ut, tigris... '
`O yes, now I can do,' said Tom, `it was tigris, vulpes, I'd forgotten: ut tigris, vulpes, et piscium.'
With some further stammering and repetition, Tom got through the next few lines.
`Now then,' he said `the next is what I've just learnt for to-morrow. Give me hold of the book a minute.'
After some whispered gabbling, assisted by the beating of his fist on the table, Tom returned the book.
`Mascula nomina in a,' he began.
`No, Tom,' said Maggie, `that doesn't come next. It's Nomen non creskens genittivo... '
`Creskens genittivo,' exclaimed Tom, with a derisive laugh, for Tom had learned this omitted passage for his yesterday's lesson, and a young gentleman does not require an intimate or extensive acquaintance with Latin before he can feel the pitiable absurdity of a false quantity. `Creskens genittivo! What a little silly you are, Maggie!'
`Well, you needn't laugh, Tom, for you didn't remember it at all. I'm sure it's spelt so. How was I to know?'
`Phee-e-e-h! I told you girls couldn't learn Latin. It's Nomen non crescens genitivo.'