hear it," returned the Idiot.

"I think you men are crazy," said the School-master, unable to contain
himself any longer.

"So?" observed the Idiot, calmly. "And how do we show our insanity?"

"Seeing concerts and hearing games of pool."

"I take exception to your ruling," returned the Imbiber. "As my friend
the Idiot has frequently remarked, you have the peculiarity of a great
many men in your profession, who think because they never happened to
see or do or hear things as other people do, they may not be seen, done,
or heard at all. I _saw_ the concert I attended last night. Our musical
club has rooms next to a hospital, and we have to give silent concerts
for fear of disturbing the patients; but we are all musicians of
sufficient education to understand by a glance of the eye what you would
fail to comprehend with fourteen ears and a microphone."

"Very well said," put in the Idiot, with a scornful glance at the
School-master. "And I literally heard the pool tournament. I was dining
in a room off the billiard-hall, and every shot that was made, with the
exception of the one I spoke of, was distinctly audible. You gentlemen,
who think you know it all, wouldn't be able to supply a bureau of
information at the rate of five minutes a day for an hour on a holiday.
Let's go up-stairs," he added, turning to the Imbiber, "where we may
discuss our last night's entertainment apart from this atmosphere of
rarefied learning. It makes me faint."

And the Imbiber, who was with difficulty keeping his lips in proper
form, was glad enough to accept the invitation. "The corks popped to
some purpose last night," he said, later on.

"Yes," said the Idiot; "for a conspiracy there's nothing so helpful as
popping corks."

V

"When you get through with the fire, Mr. Pedagog," observed the Idiot,
one winter's morning, noticing that the ample proportions of the
School-master served as a screen to shut off the heat from himself and
the genial gentleman who occasionally imbibed, "I wish you would let us
have a little of it. Indeed, if you could conveniently spare so little
as one flame for my friend here and myself, we'd be much obliged."

"It won't hurt you to cool off a little, sir," returned the
School-master, without moving.

"No, I am not so much afraid of the injury that may be mine as I am
concerned for you. If that fire should melt our only refrigerating
material, I do not know what our good landlady would do. Is i