"Besides, it is a very ill-fitting door, Peter."
"I have seen worse."
"And will be very draughty in cold weather."
"A blanket hung across will remedy that."
"Still, it can hardly be called a very good door, can it, Peter?"
Here I lighted my pipe without answering. "I suppose you make
horseshoes much better than you make doors?" I puffed at my pipe
in silence. "You are not angry because I found fault with your
door, are you, Peter?"
"Angry?" said I; "not in the least."
"I am sorry for that."
"Why sorry?"
"Are you never angry, Peter?"
"Seldom, I hope."
"I should like to see you so--just once. Finding nothing to say
in answer to this, I smoked my negro-head pipe and stared at the
moon, which was looking down at us through a maze of tree-trunks
and branches.
"Referring to horseshoes," said Charmian at last, "are you
content to be a blacksmith all your days?"
"Yes, I think I am."
"Were you never ambitious, then?"
"Ambition is like rain, breaking itself upon what it falls on--at
least, so Bacon says, and--"
"Oh, bother Bacon! Were you never ambitious, Peter?"
"I was a great dreamer."
"A dreamer!" she exclaimed with fine scorn; "are dreamers ever
ambitious?"
"Indeed, they are the most truly ambitious," I retorted; "their
dreams are so vast, so infinite, so far beyond all puny human
strength and capacity that they, perforce, must remain dreamers
always. Epictetus himself--"
"I wish," sighed Charmian, "I do wish--"
"What do you wish?"
"That you were not--"
"That I was not?"
"Such a--pedant!"
"Pedant!" said I, somewhat disconcerted.
"And you have a way of echoing my words that is very irritating."
"I beg your pardon," said I, feeling much like a chidden
schoolboy; "and I am sorry you should think me a pedant."
"And you are so dreadfully precise and serious," she continued.
"Am I, Charmian?"
"And so very solemn and austere, and so ponderous, and
egotistical, and calm--yes, you are hatefully calm and placid,
aren't you, Peter?"
And, after I had smoked thoughtfully awhile, I sighed.
"Yes, I fear I may seem so."
"Oh, I forgive you!"
"Thank you."