Sylvester did so, while Tom was lamenting the irreparable injury sustained by the skeleton, which he affectionately termed his "idcobparable wobad."
"There you are," said Tom, as they entered the study, "that's the state of thidgs, you see! here lies by wobad! here she is, you see, sbashed all to atobs! Dever get her right agaid: I kdow we dever shall. It will take a bad a bodth to sort the bodes. Add here you are agaid!" he added, pointing to his monkey, "that's dode for! ball, you see, wedt cobpletely through hib! That was the fidest budkey id dature. Did you ever see such havoc? Isd't it edough to drive a fellow ravidg bad?"
"It is very annoying," said Sylvester, "very. But let us look at this parapet."
"Here you are thed! this is it! a dice place to dadce upod! just look at the distadce frob the groudd! He bust be a bold bad who'd thidk of cuttidg his capers here."
"I should say that no man would ever attempt it."
"Dever! Add yet the old goverdor swallowed it all. But that I didd't care so buch about: it was the idea—the bodstrous idea—of its beidg ibagided that I was the bad that galled be! I dod't care about beidg victibized buch if do real disgrace is idvolved; but this was ad attack upod wud's judgbedt, ad attack upod wud's reasod, ad attack upod wud's owd self-esteeb, which I couldd't be ratiodally expected to stadd. Why, if I were to cut about here, I should say that by deck wasd't worth bore thad five bidites purchase! As I said last dight, I dod't believe they saw ady bad at all. It's all dodsedse! Here's the goverdor," he added, as Dr. Delolme called him—
"Are you up stairs, Tom?" cried the doctor.
"Yes," replied Tom, "I'b here."
"You have," said the doctor, as he entered the study, "you have, I presume, explained all to Sylvester?"
"Yes," replied Tom, "add he thidks with be that do bad id Edglad could do it. Look here. The stode is just a foot add a half wide. Dow, do you thidk it probable—day, do you thidk it possible?"
"Doubtless," said the doctor, "the policemen somewhat exaggerated. I do think it impossible for any man to run upon this coping in the manner described; but a man might with care walk safely behind it."
"But they said distidctly, upod it—ruddidg backwards add forwards upod it."
"But I should say that all they saw in reality was some one walking here. That they saw a man outside, I have not the slightest doubt: nor can I for a moment doubt that they saw that man enter this window."
"Well," said Tom, "that, certaidly, bridgs the thidg withid the scope of reasod; add if there be ady wud id the habit of cobidg here, I'll fix hib."
"You are quite sure that you left those skeletons covered?"
"Quite! I covered theb byself! Syl saw be do it."
"They were covered," said Sylvester, "when we went to bed."
