"I wasn't asleep! I wasn't asleep! I was only closing my eyes a little," howled the boy.
"What, you dare to deny it? You've learned to lie, but I will teach you to speak the truth! Were you asleep or were you not asleep? Tell the truth or you'll be sorry for it."
"I wasn't asleep," whimpered the boy, too young and inexperienced to get over his difficulty by telling a lie.
"I see, you mean to stand by your lie, you hardened little devil! You insolent liar!"
He was going to continue the thrashing when Falk rose, approached the editor, and said firmly:
"Don't touch him! I saw that he was not asleep!"
"By jove! Listen to him! Who the dickens are you? Don't touch him! Who said those words? I must have heard a gnat buzzing. Or perhaps my ears deceived me. I hope so! I do hope so! Mr. Ygberg! You are a decent fellow. You haven't been to college. Did you happen to see whether this boy, whom I'm holding by the braces like a fish, was asleep or not?"
"If he wasn't asleep," replied Ygberg, phlegmatically and obligingly, "he was just on the point of dropping off."
"Well answered! Would you mind holding him, Mr. Ygberg, while I give him a lesson with my cane in telling the truth?"
"You've no right to beat him," said Falk. "If you dare to touch him, I shall open the window and call for the police."