"Admirable room this, for hearing; rare quality with chapels and halls;
architects in planning generally tax ingenuity how to confuse sound. Now
these girls don't make a great noise, yet you can distinguish every
word,--can't you?"

No response.

"I say, can't you?"

"Every word."

Tom drew a long breath.

"Professor Hale's a sensible old fellow; I like the way he conducts this
school." (Mem. Tom didn't know a thing about it.) "Carries it on
excellently." A pause.

Silence.

"Fine-looking, too. A man's physique has a deal to do with his success
in the world. If he carries a letter of recommendation in his face,
people take him on trust to begin with; and if he's a big fellow, like
the Professor yonder, he imposes on folks awfully; they pop down on
their knees to him, and clear the track for him, as if he had a right to
it all. Bless me! I never thought of that before,--it's the reason you
and I have got on so swimmingly,--is it not, now? Certainly. You think
so? Of course."

"Of course,"--sedately and gravely spoken.