7Sarnac looked round at the fire-lit faces of his listeners.
“I know how topsy-turvy this story must seem to you, but it is a fact that before I was fourteen I had to plead for education against the ideas and wishes of my own family. And the whole household from top to bottom was brought into the discussion by Matilda or my mother. Except for Miss Bumpus and Frau Buchholz everyone was against the idea.
“‘Education,’ said Matilda, shaking her head slowly from side to side and smiling deprecatingly. ‘Education! That’s all very well for those who have nothing better to do, but you want to get on in the world. You’ve got to be earning, young man.’
“‘But if I have education I’ll be able to earn more.’
“‘Matilda screwed up her mouth in a portentous manner and pointed to the ceiling to indica
