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criminals, and yet deem simple embezzlement a bar to friendly
intercourse. I cannot understand you."

"But I am poor myself," cried I.

"You were," said he; "and you were liable to be severely punished for
it,--indeed, at the council which was held concerning you, this fact was
very nearly consigning you to what I should myself consider a
well-deserved chastisement" (for he was getting angry, and so was I);
"but the Queen was so inquisitive, and wanted so much to see you, that
she petitioned the King and made him give you his pardon, and assign you
a pension in consideration of your meritorious complexion. It is lucky
for you that he has not heard what you have been saying now, or he would
be sure to cancel it."

As I heard these words my heart sank within me. I felt the extreme
difficulty of my position, and how wicked I should be in running counter
to established usage. I remained silent for several minutes, and then
said that I should be happy to accept the embezzler's invitation,--on
which my instructor brightened and said I was a sensible fellow. But I
felt very uncomfortable. When he had left the room, I mused over the
conversation which had just taken place between us, but I could make
nothing out of it, except that it argued an even greater perversity of
mental vision than I had been yet prepared for. And this made me
wretched; for I cannot bear having much to do with people who think
differently from myself. All sorts of wandering thoughts kept coming
into my head. I thought of my master's hut, and my seat upon the
mountain side, where I had first conceived the insane idea of exploring.
What years and years seemed to have passed since I had begun my journey!

I thought of my adventures in the gorge, and on the journey hither, and
of Chowbok. I wondered what Chowbok told them about me when he got
back,--he had done well in going back, Chowbok had. He was not
handsome--nay, he was hideous; and it would have gone hardly with him.
Twilight drew on, and rain pattered against the windows. Never yet had I
felt so unhappy, except during three days of sea-sickness at the
beginning of my voyage from England. I sat musing and in great
melancholy, until Yram made her appearance with light and supper. She
too, poor girl, was miserable; for she had heard that I was to leave
them. She had made up her mind that I was to remain always in the town,
even after my imprisonment was over; and I fancy had resolved to marry me
though I had never so much as hinted at her doing so. So what with the
distressingly strange conversation with my teacher, my own friendless
condition, and Yram's melancholy, I felt more unhappy than I can
describe, and remained so till I got to bed, and sleep sealed my eyelids.

On awaking next morning I was much better. It was settled that I was to
make my start in a conveyance which was to be in waiting for me at about
eleven o'clock; and the anticipation of change put me in good spirits,

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