he most astonishing nature. Simple
matters of knowledge that they knew perfectly the day before, seemed to
have passed entirely out of the girls' minds, and they guessed and
answered at random. Sometimes a correct reply was given, but whenever
it came to the turn of Feelier Potts, if she did happen to know, she
managed to pervert the answer.

She told the inspector in the most unblushing manner that during the
plagues of Egypt the children of Israel suffered from fleas, and had
rice in all their four quarters. Corrected upon this, she asserted that
these same people crossed the Red Sea on a dry day. The class was asked
why Moses struck the rock, and Feelier whispered an answer to Ann
Straggalls, who eagerly replied--"Because it was naughty." Due to the
same mischief-loving brain, another girl asserted that the ark of the
covenant contained Shem, Ham, and Japhet; that it was a pillar of salt
that went before the wanderers in the desert; and that it was the manna
that was swallowed up during the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

Taken altogether, the children did not shine in Scripture history.

Slates were passed round with a good deal of clatter, and then a
question was propounded.

"How many pounds of butter at one-and-fourpence per pound can I buy for
eight shillings?"

Ann Straggalls, after a great deal of staring at the ceiling and biting
at her pencil, proved it to be forty. Feelier Potts rapidly dashed the
pencil to her slate, screwed up her forehead, and made some figures,
finishing off by carefully watching that no other girl should see, and
smiling triumphantly at those who had not finished; but when it came to
show slates, Feelier displayed a large pound with the figure 2 following
certain other figures, which did not show how she had arrived at this
result.

"This is very sad," said the inspector. "My good children, you cannot
properly apprehend my questions. Do you know what I mean by
`apprehend'?"

Out flew Feelier Potts's hand like a semaphore, and she pointed straight
at the top button of the inspector's waistcoat.

"I--ah, don't think, my good child, that you know," said the inspector.
"You answer at random."

"No, sir, plee, sir; I know, sir."

"Know what? What did I ask?"

"Plee, sir, what `apprehend' means. I know, sir."

"Good girl; quite right," said the inspector, smiling, "Tell us, then,
what `apprehend' means."

"Policeman taking up tipsy man," cried Feelier exci