laying the fool, in and out of
season, but somehow always _a propos_; and French boys love a boy
for that more than anything else; or did, in those days.

Such very simple buffooneries as they were, too--that gave him (and
us) such stupendous delight!

For instance--he is sitting at evening study between Bussy-Rabutin
and Laferte; M. Bonzig is usher for the evening.

At 8.30 Bussy-Rabutin gives way; in a whisper he informs Barty that
he means to take a nap ("_piquer un chien_"), with his Gradus opened
before him, and his hand supporting his weary brow as though in deep
study. "But," says he--

"If Bonzig finds me out (si Bonzig me colle), give me a gentle
nudge!"

"All right!" says Barty--and off goes Bussy-Rabutin into his snooze.

8.45.--Poor fat little Laferte falls into a snooze too, after giving
Barty just the same commission--to nudge him directly he's found out
from the _chaire_.

8.55.--Intense silence; everybody hard at work. Even Bonzig is
satisfied with the deep stillness and studious _recueillement_ that
brood over the scene--steady pens going--quick turning over of
leaves of the Gradus ad Parnassum. Suddenly Barty sticks out his
elbows and nudges both his neighbors at once, and both jump up,
exclaiming, in a loud voice:

"Non, m'sieur, je n'dors pas. J'travaille."

Sensation. Even Bonzig laughs--and Barty is happy for a week.

Or else, again--a new usher, Monsieur Goupillon (from Gascony) is on
duty in the school-room during afternoon school. He has a peculiar
way of saying "_oe, vo!_" instead of "_oui, vous!_" to any boy who
says "moi, m'sieur?" on being found fault with; and perceiving this,
Barty manages to be found fault with every five minutes, and always
says "moi, m'sieur?" so as to elicit the "_oe, vo!_" that gives him
such delight.

At length M. Goupillon says,

"Josselin, if you force me to say '_oe, vo!_' to you once more, you
shall be _a la retenue_ for a week!"

"Moi, m'sieur?" says Josselin, quite innocently.

"_Oe, vo!_" shouts M. Goupillon, glaring with all his might, but
quite unconscious that Barty has earned the threatened punishment!
And again Barty is happy for a week. And so are we.

Such was Barty's humor, as a boy--mere drivel--but of such a kind
that even his butts were fond of him. He would make M. Bonzig laugh
in the middle of his severest penal sentences, and thus demoralize
the whole school-room and set a shocking example, and be ordered _a
la porte_ of the