"Are you sick, my little Paul?"
Paul, confused, kept silent, but he answered by a reproachful look the ironical question of his friend Miette.
"But whence could such a change have come?" asked Madame Dalize, addressing Monsieur Roger. "Explain to us what has happened."
"Here are the facts," answered Monsieur Roger. "We had climbed up the tower of Heurtebize——"
Madame Dalize started, and turned a look of uneasiness towards Paul.
"Paul was not at fault," Monsieur Roger hastened to add. "I was the guilty one. Well, we were up there, when Master Paul got the idea of estimating the height of the tower. I answered that nothing was more simple than to know it at once. I asked him to let fall a stone. I looked at my watch while the stone was falling, and I said, 'The tower is sixty-two feet and six inches high.' Master Paul seemed to be astonished. He went after a yard-stick and some twine. We measured the tower, and Master Paul has recognized that the tower is in fact sixty-two feet and six inches high. Now he wants me to tell him how I have been able so simply, with so little trouble, to learn the height. That is a portion of physical science; and, as I made Master Paul a promise this very morning not to speak to him of physical science nor of chemistry, you see it is impossible for me to answer."
Monsieur Dalize understood at once what his friend Roger had in view, and, assuming the same air, he answered,—
"Certainly, it is impossible; you are perfectly right. You promised; you must keep your promise."
"Unless," said Miss Miette, taking sides with her friend Paul,—"unless Paul releases Monsieur Roger from his promise."
"You are entirely right, my child," said Monsieur Roger; "should Paul release me sufficiently to ask me to answer him. But, as I remarked to you a moment ago, I fear that he will repent too quickly, and take a dislike to me. That I should be very sorry for."