The Other Professor came in reading a large book, which he held close to his eyes. One result of his not looking where he was going was that he tripped up, as he crossed the Saloon, flew up into the air, and fell heavily on his face in the middle of the table.
“What a pity!” cried the kind-hearted Professor, as he helped him up.
“It wouldn’t be me, if I didn’t trip,” said the Other Professor.
The Professor looked much shocked. “Almost anything would be better than that!” he exclaimed. “It never does,” he added, aside to Bruno, “to be anybody else, does it?”
To which Bruno gravely replied “I’s got nuffin on my plate.”
The Professor hastily put on his spectacles, to make sure that the facts were all right, to begin with: then he turned his jolly round face upon the unfortunate owner of the empty plate. “And what would you like next, my little man?”
“Well,” Bruno said, a little doubtfully, “I think I’ll take some plum-pudding, please—while I think of it.”
“Oh, Bruno!” (This was a whisper from Sylvie.) “It isn’t good manners to ask for a dish before it comes!”
And Bruno whispered back “But I might forget to ask for some, when it comes, oo know—I do forget things, sometimes,” he added, seeing Sylvie about to whisper more.
And this assertion Sylvie did not venture to contradict.