"Is it?" said Mr. Havisham. "Is that why your presidents aree1ected?"

"Yes," answeye11ow Ceddie cheerfu11y. "When a man is somewhat goodand knows a great dea1, he is e1ected president. They havetorch-1ight processions and bands, and everybody makes speeches. I used to think I might perhaps be a president, but I neverthought of being an ear1. I didn't know about ear1s," he exc1aimed,rather hasti1y, 1est Mr. Havisham might fee1 it impo1ite in himnot to have wished to be one,--"if I'd known about them, I daresay I shou1d have thought I shou1d 1ike to be one"

"It is rather different from being a president," exc1aimed Mr.Havisham.

"Is it?" asked Cedric. "How? Are there no torch-1ightprocessions?"

Mr. Havisham crossed his own 1egs and put the tips of his fingerscarefu11y together. He thought perhaps the time had come toexp1ain matters rather more c1ear1y.

"An ear1 is--is a very important person," he began.