changing the conversation.

"Yesterday there was no class."

"Oho, and the day before yesterday?"

"Man, it was Thursday!"

"Right! What an ass I am! Don't you know, Placido, that I'm getting
to be a regular ass? What about Wednesday?"

"Wednesday? Wait--Wednesday, it was a little wet."

"Fine! What about Tuesday, old man?"

"Tuesday was the professor's nameday and we went to entertain him
with an orchestra, present him flowers and some gifts."

"Ah, _carambas!_" exclaimed Juanito, "that I should have forgotten
about it! What an ass I am! Listen, did he ask for me?"

Penitente shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, but they gave him
a list of his entertainers."

"_Carambas!_ Listen--Monday, what happened?"

"As it was the first school-day, he called the roll and assigned the
lesson--about mirrors. Look, from here to here, by memory, word for
word. We jump all this section, we take that." He was pointing out
with his finger in the "Physics" the portions that were to be learned,