orm, and marked six faults.

"H'm. Six," says he, looking at the paper. "Very annoying! I can never
get it right."

"O, but you make excellent progress!" I said. I would not discourage
him, you understand, but he was congenitally unable to learn French.
Some fire, I think, is needful, and he had quenched his fire in
soapsuds.

He put the exercise down, leaned his chin upon his hand, and looked at
me with clear, severe eyes.

"I think we must have a little talk," said he.

"I am entirely at your disposition," I replied; but I quaked, for I knew
what subject to expect.

"You have been some time giving me these lessons," he went on, "and I am
tempted to think rather well of you. I believe you are a gentleman."

"I have that honour, sir," said I.

"You have seen me for the same period. I do not know how I strike you;
but perhaps you will be prepared to believe that I also am a man of
honour," said he.

"I require no assurances; the thing is manifest," and I bowed.

"Very well, then," said he. "What about this Goguelat?"

"You heard me yesterday before the court," I began. "I was awakened
only----"

"O yes; I 'heard you yesterday before the court,' no doubt," he
interrupted, "and I remember perfectly that you were 'awakened only.' I
could repeat the most of it by rote, indeed. But do you suppose that I
believed you for a moment?"

"Neither would you believe me if I were to repeat it here," said I.

"I may be wrong--we shall soon see," says he; "but my impression is that
you will not 'repeat it here.' My impression is that you have come into
this room, and that you will tell me something before you go out."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Let me explain," he continued. "Your evidence, of course, is nonsense.
I put it by, and the court put it by."

"My compliments and thanks!" said I.

"You _must_ know--that's the short and the long," he proceeded. "All of
you in Shed B are bound to know. And I want to ask you where is the
common sense of keeping up this farce, and maintaining this
cock-and-bull story between friends. Come, come, my good fellow, own
yourself beaten, and laugh at it yourself."

"Well, I hear you--go ahead," said I. "You put your heart in it."

He crossed his legs slowly. "I can very well understand," he began,
"that precautions have had to be taken. I dare say an oath was
administered. I can comprehend that perfectly." (He was watching me all
the time with his cold, bright eyes.) "And I ca