ng--to any point of view.

After some three-quarters of an hour the door opened, and the Badger
reappeared, solemnly leading by the paw a very limp and dejected Toad.
His skin hung baggily about him, his legs wobbled, and his cheeks were
furrowed by the tears so plentifully called forth by the Badger's
moving discourse.

"Sit down there, Toad," said the Badger kindly, pointing to a chair.
"My friends," he went on, "I am pleased to inform you that Toad has at
last seen the error of his ways. He is truly sorry for his misguided
conduct in the past, and he has undertaken to give up motor-cars
entirely and for ever. I have his solemn promise to that effect."

"That is very good news," said the Mole gravely.

"Very good news indeed," observed the Rat dubiously, "if only--_if_
only--"

He was looking very hard at Toad as he said this, and could not help
thinking he perceived something vaguely resembling a twinkle in that
animal's still sorrowful eye.

"There's only one thing more to be done," continued the gratified
Badger. "Toad, I want you solemnly to repeat, before your friends
here, what you fully admitted to me in the smoking-room just now.
First, you are sorry for what you've done, and you see the folly of it
all?"

There was a long, long pause. Toad looked desperately this way and
that, while the other animals waited in grave silence. At last he
spoke.

"No!" he said, a little sullenly, but stoutly; "I'm _not_ sorry. And
it wasn't folly at all! It was simply glorious!"

"What?" cried the Badger, greatly scandalised. "You backsliding
animal, didn't you tell me just now, in there--"

"Oh, yes, yes, in _there_," said Toad impatiently. "I'd have said
anything in _there_. You're so eloquent, dear Badger, and so moving,
and so convincing, and put all your points so frightfully well--you
can do what you like with me in _there_, and you know it. But I've
been searching my mind since, and going over things in it, and I find
that I'm not a bit sorry or repentant really, so it's no earthly good
saying I am; now, is it?"

"Then you don't promise," said the Badger, "never to touch a motor-car
again?"

"Certainly not!" replied Toad emphatically. "On the contrary, I
faithfully promise that the very first motor-car I see, poop-poop! off
I go in it!"

"Told you so, didn't I?" observed the Rat to the Mole.

"Very well, then," said the Badger firmly, rising to his feet. "Since
you won't yield to persuasion, we'll try