Page:Memoirs of a Huguenot Family.djvu/49

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SCHOOL DAYS.
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the next occasion. It was not long before my delinquencies drew upon me the usual punishment.

I cried and screamed as vociferously as ever during the preparation for chastisement, but became suddenly silent when he gave the first stroke, for I found it impossible to cry and count at the same time. Mr. Arnauld was astonished, and looked me in the face to see what was the matter; he saw nothing wrong, so he gave a second blow with more force, I still kept silence, counting to myself, for I was intent upon keeping count, and at the same time concealing from him that I was counting. His astonishment increased, and he struck again with his full strength, which did not make me lose count, but forced me to break silence, and cry out involuntarily, with a tone so much the louder for having been long suppressed: "THREE." "Ah! you rogue! you are counting, are you? There, count, count, count;" and he struck me so rapidly, that I must acknowledge I lost the count—but something was gained by the trouble I had taken, for I am sure I received an extra number of stripes as a reward for my hardihood.

The other incident was similar. Mr. De la Laude, who now lives at Port Arlington, in Ireland, was at Rochelle, in Mr. Arnauld's school, at the same time that I was there. We became the greatest friends, and we desired some mode of showing it to each other. We decided, at last, that when either of us should be taken to the room for chastisement, the other should follow and call Mr. Arnauld names for his cruelty, which would, of course, irritate him, and then we should both be punished together. De la Laude was first in fault, and no sooner had the master ordered him out, than I ran after them, and asked Mr. Arnauld why he was going