"I want to tell you," declared Padre Camorra, "that this little
schoolmaster is a discontented filibuster. Just imagine--the heretic
teaches that corpses rot just the same, whether buried with great pomp
or without any! Some day I'm going to punch him!" Here he doubled up
his fists.

"To tell the truth," observed Padre Sibyla, as if speaking only to
Padre Irene, "he who wishes to teach, teaches everywhere, in the open
air. Socrates taught in the public streets, Plato in the gardens of
the Academy, even Christ among the mountains and lakes."

"I've heard several complaints against this schoolmaster," said his
Excellency, exchanging a glance with Simoun. "I think the best thing
would be to suspend him."

"Suspended!" repeated the secretary.

The luck of that unfortunate, who had asked for help and received
his dismissal, pained the high official and he tried to do something
for him.

"It's certain," he insinuated rather timidly, "that education is not
at all well provided for--"

"I've already decreed large sums for the purchase of supplies,"
exclaimed his Excellency haughtily, as if to say, "I've done more
than I ought to have done."

"But since suitable locations are lacking, the supplies purchased