Morris tribune., 1896-01-01

the nDlll Oh ldr6. his Vu0 1hUl6E ulus
with pleasant smile.
The two friends, as they seemed to
be, went on talking pleasantly together,
apparently oblivious of the private's
presence, and the latter went on with
his lunch. Gradually the car somewhat
emptied again, but still the two men
opposite Dick Townley sat talking, and
he still leisurely continued eating. The
English looking gentleman had ordered
large bottle of claret, and he and his
friend were enjoying it, At length the
two in the course Of their conversation
drifted into a controversy as to the
pronunciation of the Latin word ecce,
as used i'll the title Ecce Homo. T"
81 tell you what Dick did not
catch the name-"the pronunciation is
'es-ce The first C. like an S., You
know, " said the English looking gen
tleman.
mo, colonel, / shan't have it,
e. Americans. after all, said Dick to
himself), one ought to pronounce it
like ekky. 'C' like k, you know, "
rejoined the French looking gentleman
pleasantly.
'SNot at ali, F." said the other. I'm
sorry to differ from you, butt wonder
how we can settle this?"
He looked hard at Dick, who was
modestly draining the last of his pint
Of CARING, and seemingly satisfied with
his scrutiny addressed him quietly.
"Do YOU, Constable-er"-
"Townley,' suggested Dick, won
dering somewhat at this formal but
correct mode of address. cat least I I'M
derstand they christened me SO.
"Well, Constable Townley-but pass
your claret glass. don't think it will
disagree with the beer :"
He filled up Dicks glass, no dissent
being made.
Might ask you if you happen to
know the proper pronunciation of the
word acce-'Ecce Homo, you know?
Is it not pronounced 'es-ce?' .
''sorry to disagree with you" an
swered Dick, with brutal candor, "but
you re wrong.
The smile on his face, however, some
what made up for the disappointment
conveyed in the words
The English looking gentleman's face
fell somewhat; the,Other laughed loudly
and seemed much elated.
"There, now, colonel!" he cried.
Didn't tell you you were wrong?
It's e-k-k-y. 'Ekky Homo, Mr.-er
TownIey, is it not? knew you were
wrong, colonel "
"But you're wrong, too was the
same brutal comment, with the same
pleasant smile.
The two gentlemen stared blankly at
one another for minute, and the one
who wore the knicker breeches said
somewhat dryly, but still with GER
tain significant Difference:
"Then how do you pronounce the
word? And perhaps you might give US
your authority for SO doing at the Same
time. Surely one Of us must be right.
"Doesn It follow, F" rejoined the youth
easily, but modestly. There's o third
way, if you recognize such a thing as a
classical precedent, and that is to pro
nounce it as if it were Exec Homo, the
&C. like \, you know Cambridge is
my authority Then he added with
deprecatory little laugh as he held his
half empty claret glass up to the light
and regarded it with the air of con
noisseur: But, hang it all, you know,
gentlemen, [ don't see why you should
take such a trifing little matter Of use
and won't SO seriously. Besides, Cam
bridge is not immaculate, OF the world,
after all. It has its little afTectations
just like other places, for which it can
no more give logical reasons than I
could if said the devil spoke the Irish
language and spelled his name with an h.
You We got institutions III the States
that could lay Cambridge long odds i'll
time don It think I mean to disparage
Cambridge. y
AT this stage of the proceedings Dick
heard a violent fit Of coughing. Looking
over the left shoulder of the Frenchman, |
he caught glimpse of the round moon
like face of Pierre, the scout. On it |
was strange look of mingled conster-
nation, entreaty and warning. Seeing
that he had attracted the privates at
tention, Pierre straightway INDUCED in
a violent facial pantomime, which,
however, failed in its object, in that it
only awakened sense of the ludicrous
in the light hearted private, who could
make, so to speak, neither head nor tail
of it. That the scout meant to convey
some information to him was evident.
But surely to observe such mystery was
absurd. Dick Townley regarded him
sternly. He dearly relished joke at
the little scouts expense
81 say, Pierre, T" he said loud enough
for the scout to hear and talking over
the stout gentleman shoulder, ''what
on earth is the matter with you? You
put me in mind of sick monkey or a
niger with ST. Vitus' dance. Can't
you behave like Christian? Come right
forward and talk out like man if you
have anything to say But, Sancho, old
chap, perhaps you'd like to do another
bottle of beer first Just give that little
round metal business a dig on the top