o you want?"

"Here's a jolly lark!" cried the student, triumphantly. "Let's take
Josey with us and make him do the geometer. Come; we'll treat you to a
mug of beer."

"_Moin paroula goin_," answered Josey,--as if to say, "I've no
objections." His words were all formed by accident; and he eked them
out with nods and grins. Originally Josey was not more than half a
simpleton; but the half which Nature had denied had been carefully
educated into him by the wags of the village. If any villager has a
mole in his disposition, he may be assured that his townsmen will
stretch it into a mountain for their common behoof and education.

Nobody knew, or cared to know, what had given Josey the notion that he
was master of all the living tongues. Some contended that he had been
dry-nurse so long as to have acquired the baby-lingo by incessant
practice. Be that as it may, it was impossible to address him in any
real or imaginary language without receiving an instantaneous reply.
This apart, he was as good a field-hand as many others; and, whether he
understood the language of the beasts or not, they understood him and
did his bidding. In church Josey was the only member of the
congregation who nodded at every word of the Latin mass, to imply that
he understood it to perfection.

This individual was for this evening the fourth member of the usually
so exclusive confederacy of three.

"_Bon soir_," said Florian, as they entered the bar-room. He received a
kindly welcome at all hands. The assembled guests scanned him from head
to foot, and nodded to each other with looks that seemed to say, "A
fine fellow, Florian; yes, if you want to come home you must go abroad
first."

One who sat behind the stove said to his neighbor, "This is a better
way to come back than that thief Schlunkel's: he's been twice to the
penitentiary, and has just come back. I wish we were rid of him again."

Florian ordered a bottle of wine for himself and his comrades, while
Josey was regaled with a mug of beer at an adjoining table.

When Babbett brought the refreshments, he remarked, in an
under-tone, but yet loud enough to be heard by all, "_Comme elle est
jolie!_--_bien jolie!_"

"_Qui?_" returned the College Chap. The company nudged each other,--to
think they could talk French so well together.

Florian treated the whole company,--to their great satisfaction, for,
though frequenters of the tavern, they sat there as dry customers: the
stimulus made