It is perhaps more interesting than impressive, and the children had a serious argument over it, Jack even daring to say that the face was stupid-looking, and Gregory declining almost petulantly to consider Shakespeare in the least like a swan.
Poor Hester, how to defend him against these horrid boys! Janet came to the rescue by saying that Jack was probably thinking that the forehead was too high; but a high forehead was a sign of genius.
"It may be so," said Jack, "but father has a poor patient with water on the brain just like that." (What can you do with people, who talk in this way ?) "But, of course," said Horace, "it doesn't matter what he looked like really, because he didn't write the plays at all.

They were written by Roger Bacon." This led to acute trouble.
"How can you say such wicked things!" Hester protested, bursting into tears.
"But I read it in a book," said Horace, who had not wished to hurt her, but still desired to serve the truth.

"It was sent to father." "Everything in books isn't true," said Janet.
"Oh, I say!" said Horace.
"Of course it's not," said Mary.

"Books are always being replied to and squashed." "Well, this book was by a Member of Parliament," said Horace.
This was very awkward for the defenders of Shakespeare.

What were they to do?
Gregory, who had not seemed to be interested in the debate, settled it.
He walked up to an old man who was standing near them, and asked him.
"It isn't true," he said, "is it, that Shakespeare's works were written by Bacon ?" "No," said the old man, "it's a wicked falsehood." "How do you know ?" asked Horace.
"How do I know!" exclaimed the old man.