she really had been frightened of it. Sense of duty alone restrained
her present inclination to laugh.

"While you sat there, eating your supper," continued Miss Greene
remorselessly, "you made her bring you her books."

Mr. Korner had passed the stage when anything could astonish him.

"You lectured her about her housekeeping." There was a twinkle in the
eye of Mrs. Korner's bosom friend. But lightning could have flashed
before Mr. Korner's eyes without his noticing it just then.

"You told her that she could not add, and you made her say her
tables."

"I made her--" Mr. Korner spoke in the emotionless tones of one merely
desiring information. "I made Aimee say her tables?"

"Her nine times," nodded Miss Greene.

Mr. Korner sat down upon his chair and stared with stony eyes into the
future.

"What's to be done?" said Mr. Korner, "she'll never forgive me; I know
her. You are not chaffing me?" he cried with a momentary gleam of
hope. "I really did it?"

"You sat in that very chair where you are sitting now and ate poached
eggs, while she stood opposite to you and said her nine times table.
At the end of it, seeing you had gone to sleep yourself, I persuaded