coloured, swung their heels; they
were not pleased, I saw, but they were impressed, and in the way
I wished them to be. Having thus taken them down a peg in their
self-conceit, the next step was to raise myself in their estimation; not
a very easy thing, considering that I hardly dared to speak for fear of
betraying my own deficiencies.

"Ecoutez, messieurs!" said I, and I endeavoured to throw into my
accents the compassionate tone of a superior being, who, touched by the
extremity of the helplessness, which at first only excited his scorn,
deigns at length to bestow aid. I then began at the very beginning of
the "Vicar of Wakefield," and read, in a slow, distinct voice, some
twenty pages, they all the while sitting mute and listening with fixed
attention; by the time I had done nearly an hour had elapsed. I then
rose and said:--

"C'est assez pour aujourd'hui, messieurs; demain nous recommencerons, et
j'espere que tout ira bien."

With this oracular sentence I bowed, and in company with M. Pelet
quitted the school-room.

"C'est bien! c'est tres bien!" said my principal as we entered his
parlour. "Je vois que monsieur a de l'adresse; cela, me plait, car, dans
l'instruction, l'adresse fait tout autant que le savoir."

From the parlour M. Pelet conducted me to my apartment, my "chambre,"
as Monsieur said with a certain air of complacency. It was a very small
room, with an excessively small bed, but M. Pelet gave me to understand
that I was to occupy it quite alone, which was of course a great
comfort. Yet, though so limited in dimensions, it had two windows. Light
not being taxed in Belgium, the people never grudge its admission into
their houses; just here, however, this observation is not very APROPOS,
for one of these windows was boarded up; the open windows looked into
the boys' playground. I glanced at the other, as wondering what aspect
it would present if disencumbered of the boards. M. Pelet read, I
suppose, the expression of my eye; he explained:--

"La fenetre fermee donne sur un jardin appartenant a un pensionnat
de demoiselles," said he, "et les convenances exigent--enfin, vous
comprenez--n'est-ce pas, monsieur?"

"Oui, oui," was my reply, and I looked of course quite satisfied; but
when M. Pelet had retired and closed the door after him, the first thing
I did was to scrutinize closely the nailed boards, hoping to find
some chink or crevice which I might enlarge, and so get a peep at the
consecrated g