Nevertheless, he was at the gymnasium in time, and began the daily
lesson. But what a lesson! At first the scholars wondered what had
become of their teacher's wonted severity; they soon perceived that this
remarkable forbearance was not due to any merit on their part, but to
complete heedlessness on his. Wonder of wonders! Mr. Plateas was
inattentive! Emboldened by this discovery, they took malicious delight
in heaping blunder upon blunder, and played dire havoc with that sixth
book of the "Iliad," never sparing etymology, syntax, nor prosody. The
good man sat through it all undisturbed until the regular closing hour
had struck. His pupils went out, commenting not on Homer, but on the
unheard-of lenity of their master, while as he walked away he resumed
the burden of his thoughts,--how to set about putting his resolve into
execution.

The affair was not so simple as it had seemed to him in the night. His
decision to marry the elder daughter of Mr. Mitrophanis was not enough;
there were certain steps to take, but what were they? Should he apply to
his friend? After what had passed between them the day before, he hardly
liked to go to the judge and say--what? "I am ready for the sacrifice!"
Certainly he couldn't do that. Should he ask the aid of Mr. Liakos's
cousin? There were objections to this course, too; to be sure, he knew
the lady, and her husband as well; he was in the habit of bowing to them
on the street, but he had never had any conversation with the cousin,
and felt that he had neither the right nor the courage to ask her to
serve as intermediary.

He thought it all over without reaching any conclusion, and was crossing
the square on his way home,--for it was nearly time for his noon-day
dinner,--when suddenly he saw Mr. Mitrophanis coming toward him. This