"Aprile! there is no such word as Aprile--_Avril_. And now tell me, what is May?" "_Mai._" "Excellent! excellent! capital! _magnifique!_ you said that word _parfaitement bien_.[37] Now let us proceed--June." [Footnote 37: Perfectly well.] "Juney." "Ah! no, no--_Juin, ma chère, Juin_--but I will excuse you. Now, tell me July." Little Anne could make no answer. "Ah! I fear--I begin to fear you. Are you not growing bad?" "_Oui, Monsieur_," said little Anne. "Come then; I will tell you this once--_Juillet_ is the French for July. Now, tell me what is August?" "Augoost!" "Augoost! Augoost! there is no such a word. Why, you are very bad, indeed--_Août, Août, Août_." The manner in which Mr. Ravigote vociferated this rather uncouth word, roused Uncle Philip from his newspaper and his rocking-chair, and mistaking it for a howl of pain, he started up and exclaimed, "Hallo!" Mr. Ravigote turned round in amazement, and Uncle Philip continued, "Hey, what's the matter? Has anything hurt you? I thought I heard a howl." "Dear uncle," said little Anne, "Mr. Ravigote is not howling; he is only saying August in French." Uncle Philip bit his lip and resumed his paper. Mr. Ravigote proceeded, "September?" and his pupil repeated in a breath, as if she was afraid to stop an instant lest she should forget-- "Septembre, Octobre, Novembre, Décembre." "Ah! very well; very well, indeed," exclaimed Mr. Ravigote; "you have said these four words _comme il faut_;[38] but it must be confessed they are not much difficult." [Footnote 38: Properly]. He then proceeded with the remainder of her vocabulary lesson; but in vain--not another word did she say that had the least affinity to the right one. "Ah!" said he, "_je suis au desespoir_;[39] I much expected of you this day, but you have overtumbled all my hopes. _Je suis abimé._"[40] [Footnote 39: I am in despair.] [Footnote 40: "I am thrown in an abyss of grief," is perhaps nearest the meaning of this very French expression.] "_Oui, Monsieur_, said little Anne. "You are one _mauvais sujet_,"[41] pursued the teacher, beginning to lose his patience; "punishment is all that you merit. _Mais allons, essayons encore._"[42] [Footnote 41: Bad person--bad child.] [Footnote 42: But come, let us try again.] Just at that moment the string of little Anne's beads (at which she had been pulling during the whole lesson) broke suddenly in two, and the beads began to shower down, a few into her lap, but most of them on the floor. "_Oh! quel dommage!_"[43] exclaimed Mr. Ravigote; "_Mais n'importe, laissez-les_,[44] and continue your lesson." [Footnote 43: Oh! what a pity!] [Footnote 44: But no matter--let them alone.]