"Roscoe, can you translate the passage?"

"I think so, sir."

"Proceed, then."

Hector at once gave a clear and luminous rendering of the passage,
and his version was not only correct, but was expressed in decent
English. This is a point in which young classical scholars are apt
to fail.

Mr. Crabb was not in the habit of hearing such good translations,
and he was surprised and gratified.

"Very well! Very well, indeed, Roscoe," he said, approvingly. "Mr.
Smith, you may go on."

"He'd better go ahead and finish it," said Smith, sulkily. "He
probably got it out of a pony."

My young readers who are in college or classical schools, will
understand that a "pony" is an English translation of a classical
author.

"He is mistaken!" said Hector, quietly. "I have never seen a
translation of Virgil."

Mr. Smith shrugged his shoulders, and drew down the corners of his
mouth, intending thereby to express his incredulity.