"We will have our reading presently, but it won't be a novel to-day."
"What do you mean, sir?"
"I humbly beg to remind your honour that you were pleased to commission me to lay hands upon certain Latin exercises of your grandson Koloman. I humbly beg to inform you that they are now in my possession."
"Oh!" said old Lapussa, with a forced assumption of sang froid, "you may give them to me to-morrow, I will look them through."
"Crying your honour's pardon, they are in Latin."
"Well, I can get someone to look them through for me."
"I beg humbly to represent that it would not be well to put them into anybody's hands, for strange things are contained therein."
"What!" cried the old man angrily, "you don't mean to say you have looked into them?"
"Yes, I have read them all through."
"I did not tell you to do that."