Page:Mrs. Spring Fragrance - Far - 1912.djvu/322

 acorns from the bed of a sunken stream" shrilly declaimed Go Ek Ju.

"Enough! It can easily be perceived what thy mind is on. Canst thou look at me behind my back and declare that thou art not eating unfragrant sugar?"

"To thy illuminating back, honorable sir, I declare that I am not eating unfragrant sugar."

The teacher's brow became yet sterner.

"You, Mark Sing! Art thou the unfragrant sugar eater?"

"I know not the taste of that confection, most learned sir."

The teacher sniffed.

"Some one," he reasserted, "is eating unfragrant sugar. Whoever the miserable culprit is, let him speak now, and four strokes from the rattan is all that he shall receive."

He paused. The clock ticked sixty times; but there was no response to his appeal. He lifted his rattan.

"As no guilty one," said he, "is honorable enough to acknowledge that he is dishonorably eating unfragrant sugar, I shall punish all for the offense, knowing that thereby the offender will receive justice. Go Ek Ju, come forward, and receive eight strokes from the rattan."

Go Ek Ju went forward and received the