indefatiga-, indefatigabilly, b-i-elly, billy, indefatigabili-, t-y,
ty, indefatigability."

"O, Madelaine, my chile, you make yo' teacher proud! prah-ood, my
chile!" Bonaventure's hand rested a moment tenderly on her head as he
looked first toward the audience and then toward the stranger. Then he
drew off for the third word. He looked at it twice before he called
it. Then--

"Sidonie! ah! Sidonie, be ready! be prepared! fail not yo' humble
school-teacher! In-com"--He looked at the word a third time, and then
swept down upon her:

"In-com-pre-hen-si-ca-_bility_!"

Sidonie flinched not nor looked upon him, as he hung over her with the
spelling-book at arm's-reach above them; yet the pause that followed
seemed to speak dismay, and throughout the class there was a silent
recoil from something undiscovered by the master. But an instant later
Sidonie had chosen between the two horns of her agonizing dilemma, and
began:

"I-n, een, c-o-m, cawm, eencawm, eencawmpre, p-r-e, pre, eencawmpre,
eencawmprehen, prehen, haich-e-n, hen, hen, eencawmprehensi, s-i, si,
eencawmprehensi-, b-i-l"--

"Ah! Sidonie! Stop! _Arretez!_ Si-do-nie-e-e-e! Oh! listen--_ecoutez_--
Sidonie, my dear!" The master threw his arms up and down in distraction,
then suddenly faced his visitor, "Sir, it was my blame! I spoke the word
without adequate distinction! Sidonie--_maintenant_--now!" But a voice
in the audience interrupted with--

"_Assoiez-vous la_, Chat-oue! Seet down yondeh!" And at the potent
voice of Maximian Roussel the offender was pushed silently into the
seat he had risen from, and Bonaventure gave the word again.

"In-com-pre-hen-si-ca-bil-i-ty!" And Sidonie, blushing like fire,
returned to the task:

"I-n, een"--She bit her lip and trembled.

"Right! _Right!_ Tremble not, my Sidonie! fear naught! yo' loving
school-teacher is at thy side!" But she trembled like a red leaf as she
spelled on--"Haich-e-n, hen, eencawmprehen, eencawmprehensi, s-i, si,
eencawmprehensi-, eencawmprehensi-billy-t-y, ty, incomprehensibility!"

The master dropped his hands and lifted his eyes in speechless
despair. As they fell again upon Sidonie, her own met them. She
moaned, covered her face in her hands, burst into tears, ran to her
desk and threw her hands and face upon it, shaking with noiseless sobs
and burning red to the nape of her perfect neck. All Grande Pointe
rose to its feet.

"Lost!" cried Bonaventure in a heart-broken voice. "Every thin