Mr. Havisham crossed his own legs and put the tips of his fingers
carefully together. He thought perhaps the time had come to explain
matters rather more clearly.

"An earl is--is a very important person," he began.

"So is a president!" put in Ceddie. "The torch-light processions are
five miles long, and they shoot up rockets, and the band plays! Mr.
Hobbs took me to see them."

"An earl," Mr. Havisham went on, feeling rather uncertain of his ground,
"is frequently of very ancient lineage----"

"What's that?" asked Ceddie.

"Of very old family--extremely old."

"Ah!" said Cedric, thrusting his hands deeper into his pockets. "I
suppose that is the way with the apple-woman near the park. I dare say
she is of ancient lin-lenage. She is so old it would surprise you how
she can stand up. She's a hundred, I should think, and yet she is out
there when it rains, even. I'm sorry for her, and so are the other boys.
Billy Williams once had nearly a dollar, and I asked him to buy five
cents' worth of apples from her every day until he had spent it all.
That made twenty days, and he grew tired of apples after a week; but
then--it was quite fortunate--a gentleman gave me fifty cents and I
bought apples from her instead. You feel sorry for any one that's so
poor and has such ancient lin-lenage. She says hers has gone into her
bones and the rain makes it worse."