, at once, in
reply.

The caster-up of sums cast a look at the delinquent, the tottle of the
whole of which was, "you sha'n't be long on the debit side of our
account."

"But what is to be done?" was now the question.

"I am afraid," said I, "we must dig him up like a dead tree, or an old
post."

"It is, I believe, the only way," said the tutor, despondingly; "I was
relieved once that way before in the bog of Ballynawashy."

"O, then you are from Ireland after all," said the lady.

"Only on a visit, madam!" said the baited fixture, with much asperity.

"But really," said she, "if I may judge from the present occasion, you
must have made a _long stay_."

"I hope he won't take cold in his feet," said a very silly,
blubber-lipped boy.

His instructor looked hot with passion.

"But really, now I think of it," chimed in the now enraptured widow, "a
very serious alarm has seized me. Suppose that the piece of wood, so
nicely planted in this damp clay, were to take root and throw out
fibres. Gracious me! only suppose that you should begin to vegetate. I
do declare that you look quite _green_ about the eyes already!"

"Mercy me!" whispered the wag, "if he should grow up, he'll certainly
turn to a _plane_ tree; for really, he is a very plain man."

The wielder of the ruler gave a tremendous wriggle with the whole body,
which proved as ineffectual as it was violent.

"But don't you think, Ralph," said his tormentor, "as the evening is
drawing in, that something should be done for the poor gentleman; he
will most certainly take cold if he remain here all night; couldn't you
and your school-fellows contrive to build a sort of hut over him? I am
sure I should be very happy to help to carry the boughs--if the man
won't go to the house, the house must go to the man."

"What a fine cock-shy he would make!" said Master Blubberlips.

"O, I should so like to see it," said the lady. "It will be the first
time he has been made _shy_ in his life."

He was certainly like an Indian bound to the stake, and made to suffer
mental torture--but he did not bear it with an Indian's equanimity. As
a few stragglers had been drawn to the funny scene, and more might be
expected, I, and I only, of all the spectators, began to feel some pity
for him; the more especially, as I heard a stout, grinning chaw-bacon
say to the baker's boy of the village, who asked him what was the
matter, "Whoy, Jim, it ben't nothink less than Frenchman'