in an arrogant or haughty manner


He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully, ‘Centuries ago.’


Margie was hurt. ‘Well, I don’t know what kind of school they had all that time ago.’ She read the book over his shoulder for a while, then said, ‘Anyway, they had a teacher.’ ‘Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular teacher. It was a man.’


‘A man? How could a man be a teacher?’


‘Well, he just told the boys and girls things and gave them homework and asked them questions.’


‘A man isn’t smart enough.’ ‘Sure he is. My father knows as much as my teacher.’ ‘He can’t. A man can’t know as much as a teacher.’ ‘He knows almost as much, I betcha.’


Margie wasn’t prepared to dispute that. She said, ‘I wouldn’t want a strange man in my house to teach me.’


Tommy screamed with laughter, ‘You don’t know much, Margie. The teachers didn’t live in the house. They had a special building and all the kids went there.’ ‘And all the kids learned the same thing?’ ‘Sure, if they were the same age.’


‘But my mother says a teacher has to be adjusted to fi t the mind of each boy and girl it teaches and that each kid has to be taught diff erently.’


‘Just the same, they didn’t do it that way then. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to read the book.’


‘I didn’t say I didn’t like it,’ Margie said quickly. She wanted to read about those funny schools. They weren’t even half-fi nished when Margie’s mother called, ‘Margie! School!’ Margie looked up. ‘Not yet, Mamma.’ ‘Now,’ said Mrs Jones. ‘And it’s probably time for Tommy, too.’ Margie said to Tommy, ‘Can I read the book some more with you after school?’


‘Maybe,’ he said, nonchalantly. He walked away whistling, the dusty old book tucked beneath his arm.


in a casual or indiff erent way


200 FIRE & ICE 1


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