The triumph of Pitman was a triumph of business organization: there was a weekly paper to persuade you to learn Pitman: there were cheap textbooks and
exercise books and transcripts of speeches for you to copy, and schools where experienced teachers coached you up to the necessary proficiency.
She never suspected that the
exercise books and new songs which she found in the rack were put there for her especial benefit, and when he talked to her about music at home, she only thought how kind he was to tell things that helped her so much.
The large table covered with books and plans, the tall glass-fronted bookcases with keys in the locks, the high desk for writing while standing up, on which lay an open exercise book, and the lathe with tools laid ready to hand and shavings scattered around- all indicated continuous, varied, and orderly activity.
All right then, sit down." He took the exercise book containing lessons in geometry written by himself and drew up a chair with his foot.
The princess bent over the exercise book on the table.
"The third, I said the third!" cried the prince abruptly, pushing the letter away, and leaning his elbows on the table he drew toward him the exercise book containing geometrical figures.
The old man was beside himself: moved the chair on which he was sitting noisily backward and forward, made efforts to control himself and not become vehement, but almost always did become vehement, scolded, and sometimes flung the exercise book away.
"This won't do, Princess; it won't do," said he, when Princess Mary, having taken and closed the exercise book with the next day's lesson, was about to leave: "Mathematics are most important, madam!
I may show it to Jonathan some day if there is in it anything worth sharing, but it is really an
exercise book. I shall try to do what I see lady journalists do, interviewing and writing descriptions and trying to remember conversations.