"None of them," answered Levis lightly. "Not a single one of them."
"You will be eternally destroyed," warned Grandfather, truly appalled.
"Well," said Levis--then he felt ashamed. There was no use in further horrifying an old man of whom he had so obviously the upper hand. "You and I shouldn't discuss this subject. Each of us knows what the other thinks and there's no likelihood of either of us changing." He tried to recall some pleasant subject upon which he and his father-in-law could agree. Grandfather was not interested in politics, and still less in several wonderful medical discoveries which Levis read about with eyes agleam like those of a traveler at sight of a new continent. Grandfather held the practice of medicine to be useless idling.
"We've had a good harvest," said Levis, at last.
Grandfather stood upright. His beard was blown to one side by a sudden breeze which made the flame of the lamp waver.
"Edward, I ask you once more for the souls of these children!"
"Nonsense," answered Levis. "Their souls aren't mine! If you're going home, you'd better let me drive you down."
Grandfather made a rejecting gesture and walked toward the door. Then he saw that Amos had not risen, but sat, turned in his chair, looking at a little table by the window upon which lay several schoolbooks, a tablet, and two pencils. There was also a glass of water with a few rosebuds in it. A sharp suspicion shot through Amos's heart. Was Ellen studying in advance of her class? Then she would not come back! Burning red dyed his cheeks; he felt that Grandfather and Levis must both be able to read in his heart the emotions which boiled and raged there, putting his salvation in jeopardy.
"Is Ellen studying in summer?" he asked tremulously. "These look like her books."
"Yes," answered Levis. "You've given her a good foundation, Amos, and she has a good mind. But she must move more rapidly, or she'll get into lazy habits."
"I could give her extra work," offered Amos, trembling.
"It isn't fair to ask you to do that. I'll teach her myself till she goes away."
"She'll have to go to finish her education."
"She'll not need education beyond what she can get in school," said Grandfather. Here was a new and greater danger!