e therefore took up his brown straw hat and black cane, and started
determinedly out to exercise his habit of vexing the high spirit of the
school master, De La Lande.

"Ah bon, fratello!" cried Zotique that afternoon when de La Lande
appeared at his door, "How goes it? Come in and speak to Mr. Chrysler,
here."

"It goes ill, Zotique," answered the school master, gloomily, "I have
had the Cure again."

"And what did he say to you?"

"Quarrels with everything in the system. Our geography was galimatias,
and book-keeping a crime: the people must not think they were on a level
with the learned, and the children must do this and that. At last--at
last--I was exasperated, and told him I had a right under the laws to my
position and powers. He said there can be no right against the Right! I
told him there were many wrongs against the Right! And he went away
saying he would bring me to a bed of straw."

"Let him do!" laughed the Registrar.

But Zotique himself was not to escape quite scot-free, for when Chrysler
stopped next day at his office, as he was getting accustomed to do, he
found him in one of his excitements.

[F]"Ac-re-ye!" he was ejaculating.

[Footnote F: NOTE--An evasive form of "Sacre," analogous to "Sapre,"
"Sacristie," "Sac," "St. Christophe," &c.]

"Ah, good day, sir. Come in and take a seat Aa-a-creye, how they enrage
us!"--and he cast an impatient glance on the floor at a large envelope
deeply marked with his heel.

"What is the matter?" Chrysler queried.

"The matter, sir, is that!"--spurning the envelope.

"An official notification?"

"Not official!--No, sir, unofficial! ultra-official, contra-official,
pseud-official! See, read it!"

He picked up and handed over the objectionable letter, which was headed
with the stamp of the Attorney-General's Office:--"Dear Sir,--You are
requested to grant Mr. Cletus Libergent the use of the Circuit Court
edifice and rooms, which are in your charge, for whatever purpose he may
desire, for the space of three weeks from the present date."

T. OUAOUARON,
Attorney-General.

Chrysler smiled to Zotique. Could a Government that openly granted the
public buildings to partisans pretend to a sense of right or dignity?

As to the effects of the Cure's second vow, they remain matter for
narration to come.

CHAPTER XX.

CHEZ NOUS.

"Bonjour le maitre et la maitresse
Et tous les gens de la maison."

--THE GUIGNOLEE CAROL.

The cr