“Hear! hear!” roared the students, hammering their beer glasses against the table; “a speech, a speech!—silence for a speech!”
“The fact is, my friends,” said the Professor, beaming through his spectacles, “I hope very soon to be married.”
“Married!” cried a student, bolder than the others “Is Madame dead, then?”
“Madame who?”
“Why, Madame von Baumgarten, of course.”
“Ha, ha!” laughed the Professor; “I can see, then, that you know all about my former difficulties. No, she is not dead, but I have reason to believe that she will not oppose my marriage.”
“That is very accommodating of her,” remarked one of the company.
“In fact,” said the Professor, “I hope that she will now be induced to aid me in getting a wife. She and I never took to each other very much; but now I hope all that may be ended, and when I marry she will come and stay with me.”
“What a happy family!” exclaimed some wag.
“Yes, indeed; and I hope you will come to my wedding, all of you. I won’t mention names, but here is to my little bride!” and the Professor waved his glass in the air.