"The guard will inform me in Japanese," he said so coldly that June wondered if he were angry with him.
After a great deal of talk, the guard went away leaving June sitting half asleep on the floor with his head against the bed. In an instant Monsieur was leaning over him shaking his shoulder.
"Tell me!" he demanded, "tell me quickly why did you come?"
June rubbed his eyes and yawned; at first he could not remember, then it began to come back:
"I made the 's's' the wrong way," he murmured, "and when I tried to fix them I spoiled your letter."
"Yes, yes," cried Monsieur, now out of bed and on his knees before the child, "and you tore it up, you destroyed it?"
June shook his head wearily, "It is inside here, but I can't undo the buttons."
Monsieur's hands, bandaged though they were, found the packet and drew it eagerly forth. "Thank God! thank God!" he whispered, pressing the unbroken seal again and again to his lips.
"Did I save your life?" asked June making a mighty effort to rouse himself, and enjoy his reward.
"Not my life, boy; that did not matter; it is my honor you have saved, my honor." And Monsieur lay back upon the bed and sobbed like a little child.