sals among the officers; to
which I say that doubtless there are many people who, not having taken the
trouble to read my address in the chapel last Sunday, although it was
printed in the newspapers, are quite ready to believe anything except the
simple truth.

He then enters upon a long rigmarole, the gist of which is how necessary
it is for a man to do his duty; with which novel sentiment I express my
entire agreement. Then he adds that he has always been careful to do his
own duty; upon which I make the startling comment that it is in the long
run the best course to pursue. Then he casually turns the conversation
around to show how closely connected he is to various admirers of my
father and myself, and gracefully insinuates that he also shares these
feelings; to which I can answer nothing, as this sort of thing always
reduces me to embarrassed and wrathful silence. I hate to tell a man that
he's a fool, and I hate quite as much to have him take me for one.

As the officer stands there talking, it is borne in upon me that he not
only knows all about last night's disturbance, but that he was probably
concerned in it, and is now deliberately trying to switch me off the
track. He would not answer my question last night, and he avoids all
reference to the matter this morning, substituting for the explanation
which he knows I want, for he heard me speak to the Warden about it last
evening, all this stuff I have outlined. Instead of being frank and
telling the plain truth about last night's occurrence, he is trying to
flatter me and pull the wool over my eyes.

He walks away and the taste in my mouth is not pleasant.

Soon Captain Kane unlocks the levers, and George presses them down to
release us for a new day. I regret to say that I again create some
confusion on the gallery by being late; but, as there is trouble with the
lock on the tier around the corner, I catch up while the front of the line
is held back by the delay.

Marching down the yard, my interest is aroused by a long, whispered
conversation between Roger Landry at my side and Jack Bell who is
immediately in front of him. Neither is farther than a foot or so away,
yet my ears are not sensitive enough to catch a single word of what they
say; and when I glance toward Landry I am unable to detect the faintest
motion of his lips, although the talk is still going on.

Upon return from bucket duty I sweep out the cell, finding it for some
reason especially di