"'You do pollute it!' replied the savage animal, 'and--I know that, last year, you slandered me.' [With this line Delsarte always gave a progressive gesture, which can best be described in this way:
Give the gesture of affirmation ↓ [see Lesson VII.], stopping twice in the downward movement, on the words that and year, thus:
| ↓ | I |
| know | |
| that | |
| ↓ | last |
| year | |
| ↓ | you |
| slandered me. |
"'How could I when I was not born?' replied the Lamb [gentle voice]. 'I am still a suckling babe.'
"'If it was not you, then it was your brother' [gruff voice].
"'I have none.'
"'Then it was some member of your family, for--you do not spare me, you, your shepherds and your dogs. [There is no pause after the conjunction and here, as it simply joins together words in a list.] I have been told so [impatiently; the wolf is tired of parleying so long]. I must revenge myself.'
"'Thereupon [lower the voice to fix the attention] the Wolf carried him into the depths of the forest and--ate him [deplore the fact] without further trial'" [voice low].
The Cat, the Weasel and the Little Rabbit.
The palace of a young Rabbit was taken possession of, one fine morning, by Dame Weasel; she is a sly one. The master being absent, it was an easy thing for her to do. She carried her belongings there one day when he had gone to do homage to Aurora, amid the thyme and the dew. After having nibbled, and trotted, and made all his rounds, Bunny Rabbit returned to his subterranean dwelling. Mrs. Weasel was looking out of the window.