"How about you, Samantha? Do you think they merit comparison?"

Samantha gave Rupert a quick sideways glance, but he was still looking down at his hands.

"I agree with Jones, Miss,"she said. "I don't much like Cervantes as a writer and I don't see how his stories could be taken seriously, whereas Dickens made a real impact. Dickens changed things."

Mrs Winton was most definitely looking amused now. "Are you saying that Dickens was responsible for ...