Page:Carroll - Sylvie and Bruno.djvu/164

136 "If he's always as sleepy as that," Bruno remarked, "a course he's dreamy!"

"But what are we to do? said the Professor. "You see he's quite wrapped up in the book!"

"Suppose oo shuts the book?" Bruno suggested.

"That's it!" cried the delighted Professor. "Of course that'll do it!" And he shut up the book so quickly that he caught the Other Professor's nose between the leaves, and gave it a severe pinch.

The Other Professor instantly rose to his feet, and carried the book away to the end of the room, where he put it back in its place in the book-case. "I've been reading for eighteen hours and three-quarters," he said, "and now I shall rest for fourteen minutes and a half. Is the Lecture all ready?"

"Very nearly," the Professor humbly replied. "I shall ask you to give me a hint or two——there will be a few little difficulties——"

"And a Banquet, I think you said?"

"Oh, yes! The Banquet comes first, of course. People never enjoy Abstract Science,