Ernest, meanwhile, was walking about, making observations, and giving his advice to his brothers on the architecture of their pavilions, till, seeing they were going to bore another tree, he retired into the garden to see the embankment.

He returned delighted with the improvements, and much disposed to take some employment.

He wanted to assist in boring the tree, but we could not all work at it.

I undertook this labour myself, and sent him to blow the bellows, while his brothers laboured at the forge, the work not being too hard for his lame hand.

My young smiths were engaged in flattening the iron to make joints to unite their pipes; they succeeded very well, and then began to dig the ground to lay them.
Ernest, knowing something of geometry and land-surveying, was able to give them some useful hints, which enabled them to complete their work successfully.