He thought I was right, and for two years more the question was asked again, but in the following improved manner: "Explain why _silence_ is the only French noun, ending in _ence_, that is of the masculine gender." This was sensible, and I hoped the examiner would for a long time to come be in smooth water. The gods willed it otherwise. One morning he came to me in a great state of excitement. "I am furious!" he said. "I believe one of the candidates has been laughing at me." "You don't say so!" I remarked. "I believe so," he continued, whilst untying a bundle of papers. "Now look at this," he cried, handing me a copy; "have you ever seen such impudence?" I looked, but could make nothing out of it. "What's the matter?" I inquired. "Well, I asked the candidates the question about the gender of _silence_." "I know, the famous question, eh?" "Never mind that. See the answer one of them gives me," and he pointed it out to me. It ran thus: "_Silence_ is the only French noun, ending in _ence_, that is masculine, because it is the only thing women can not keep." Tears of sympathy for the boy trickled down my cheeks; I thought it was lovely. "Well," I said, when I had recovered, "it serves you right." "I will _plough_ that boy!" he ejaculated. "No, you won't do that," I said. "How did he do the rest of the paper?" "Very well, indeed; the impudent scamp is a clever fellow." "And a wit," I added; "you must not _plough_ him." I never knew the fate of that boy, although I believe I saved him. But what I do know is that never, never since, has the question found place in the Matriculation papers of the University of London. * * * * * A boy, having to give the etymology of the French word _dimanche_, and explain why "book" and "pound" are expressed by the same French word _livre_, perpetrated the following: "_Dimanche_ is a compound word, formed from _di_ (twice), and _manche_ (to eat), because you take two meals on that day (Sunday)."[8] [8] _Dear boy! he probably was a weekly boarder, and the Sunday fare at home had left sweet recollections in his mind. This beats Swift's etymology of "cucumber," which he once gave at a dinner of the Philological Society: "King Jeremiah, Jeremiah King, Jerkin, Gherkin, Cucumber."_ "_Livre_ stands for 'book' as well as for 'pound,' because the accounts of 'pounds' are kept in 'books.'" It was the same boy who, being asked for the meaning of _cordon bleu_, answered "a teetotaler." * * * * * A young Briton, having to derive the French word _tropique_, wrote: "This word comes from _trop_ (too much), and _ique_ (from Latin _hic_ which means _here_), with the word _heat_ understood, that is to say: _Tropique_, it is too hot here." * * * * *