"Scotch shepherds knit--always knitting." "When we get out--" Terry stretched himself and looked at the far peaks, "when we get out of this and get to where the real women are--the mothers, and the girls--" "Well, what'll we do then ?" I asked, rather gloomily.

"How do you know we'll ever get out ?" This was an unpleasant idea, which we unanimously considered, returning with earnestness to our studies.
"If we are good boys and learn our lessons well," I suggested.

"If we are quiet and respectful and polite and they are not afraid of us--then perhaps they will let us out.

And anyway--when we do escape, it is of immense importance that we know the language." Personally, I was tremendously interested in that language, and seeing they had books, was eager to get at them, to dig into their history, if they had one.
It was not hard to speak, smooth and pleasant to the ear, and so easy to read and write that I marveled at it.

They had an absolutely phonetic system, the whole thing was as scientific as Esparanto yet bore all the marks of an old and rich civilization.
We were free to study as much as we wished, and were not left merely to wander in the garden for recreation but introduced to a great gymnasium, partly on the roof and partly in the story below.