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the professor.
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"Why, monsieur, I am not inattentive—am I? I learn my lessons well—"
"Oh, a child can do that! and what more do you do?"
"What more can I do?"
"Oh, certainly, not much; but you are a teacher, are you not, as well as a pupil?"
"Yes."
"You teach lace-mending?"
"Yes."
"A dull, stupid occupation; do you like it?"
"No—it is tedious."
"Why do you pursue it? Why do you not rather teach history, geography, grammar, even arithmetic?"
"Is Monsieur certain that I am myself thoroughly acquainted with these studies?"
"I don't know; you ought to be at your age."
"But I never was at school, monsieur—"
"Indeed! What then were your friends—
