Problem: CHAPTER VI

THE BLUNDERING OF ANDREW

They came face to face in the hall of the Grand Hotel. Duncombe had just returned from his call upon the Marquise. Andrew was leaning upon the arm of a dark, smooth-shaven man, and had apparently just descended from the lift. At the sound of Duncombe's little exclamation they both stopped short. Andrew turned his heavily spectacled eyes in Duncombe's direction, but it was obvious that he saw nothing.

"You here, Andrew!"

"Yes! Why not?"

The tone was curt, almost discourteous. Duncombe understood at once.

"Let us sit down somewhere, and talk for a few minutes," he said. "I did not expect you. You should have let me know that you were coming."

Andrew laughed a little bitterly.

"I scarcely see why," he said. "To tell you the truth, I see no advantage to either of us in any intercourse."

Duncombe took him by the arm and led him towards the smoking-room.

"Andrew," he said, "perhaps I have behaved badly--at least from your point of view, but remember that I warned you. Let us sit down here. Who is your friend?"

"Never mind," Andrew answered. "You can say what you have to before him. He is in my confidence."

Duncombe glanced around. The man had taken the chair next to them, and was evidently prepared to listen to all that was said. His clothes and bearing, and quiet, unobtrusive manners, all seemed to suggest truthfully enough his possible identity--an English detective from an advertised office. Duncombe smiled as he realized the almost pitiful inadequacy of such methods.
1. WHat did the man look like that Andrew was leaning on?
2. where were they?
3. Where did he come from?
4. What did Duncombe ask?
5. how did he respond?
6. Were they friendly?
7. how was the tone?
8. and?
9. Where did Duncombe take him to?
10. How does Andrew believe he acted?
11. who was Duncombe talking about?
12. who was?
13. from where?
14. Did Andrew speak about him?
15. why not?
16. was the man there?
17. where?
18. far away?
19. where?
20. was he there to talk?
Answer: 1. dark and smooth-shaven
2. Grand Hotel
3. the lift.
4. You here, Andrew
5. Yes! Why not?
6. no
7. curt
8. discourteous
9. the smoking-room.
10. badly
11. Andrew's friend
12. English detective
13. advertised office.
14. no
15. He was in his confidence."
16. yes
17. a chair
18. no
19. next to them
20. no

Problem: CHAPTER LXI

After throwing George Caresfoot into the bramble-bush, Arthur walked steadily back to the inn, where he arrived, quite composed in manner, at about half-past seven. Old Sam, the ostler, was in the yard, washing a trap. He went up to him, and asked when the next train started for London.

"There is one as leaves Roxham at nine o'clock, sir, and an uncommon fast one, I'm told. But you bean't a-going yet, be you, sir?"

"Yes, have the gig ready in time to catch the train."

"Very good, sir. Been to the fire, I suppose sir?" he went on, dimly perceiving that Arthur's clothes were torn. "It were a fine place, it wore, and it did blaze right beautiful."

"No; what fire?"

"Bless me, sir, didn't you see it last night?--why, Isleworth Hall, to be sure. It wore burnt right out, and all as was in it."

"Oh! How did it come to get burnt?"

"Can't say, sir, but I did hear say how as Lady Bellamy was a-dining there last night along with the squire; the squire he went out somewhere, my lady she goes home, and the footman he goes to put out the lamp and finds the drawing-room a roaring fiery furnace, like as parson tells us on. But I don't know how that can be, for I heard how as the squire was a-dying, so 'taint likely that he was a-going out. But, lord, sir, folk in these parts do lie that uncommon, 'taint as it be when I was a boy. As like as no, he's no more dying than you are. Anyhow, sir, it all burned like tinder, and the only thing, so I'm told, as was saved was a naked stone statty of a girl with a chain round her wrists, as Jim Blakes, our constable, being in liquor, brought out in his arms, thinking how as it was alive, and tried to rewive it with cold water."
1. Where was the fire last night?
2. Did it burn everything?
3. Who was eating out there last night?
4. With whom?
5. Who went to put out a lamp?
6. What did he find in the drawing-room?
7. Who recounted this tale to Old Sam?
8. Was any single thing saved from the blaze?
Answer: 1. Isleworth Hall
2. Yes
3. Lady Bellamy
4. The squire
5. Footman
6. A roaring fiery furnace
7. Arthur
8. A girl

Problem: Animals love to walk near the train tracks. One night a beautiful black cat was walking along the train tracks looking for a nice mouse to eat. He came across some friends, Bob the cat and Steve the dog. They chose to go looking for food together. They walked up and down the tracks looking for a wonderful meal to snack on, when they happened across a big huge melon. Bob asked the black cat if he like melons, the cat did not like melons. Bob asked the dog if he liked melons, Steve did not like melons either. Bob then ate the melon himself as they looked around for that tasty treat. They heard bells from the train coming by and then they finally saw the food they were looking for jump from the bushes over the tracks and run straight into the barn nearby. The black cat wanted to eat the mouse, so he chased him into the barn. Minutes later the black cat returned with his meal in his mouth to share with his friends.
1. What is bob?
2. What else was there?
3. anything else?
4. What did they decide to do?
5. separately
6. where did they look?
7. what did they want to snack on?
8. what did they find instead?
9. how many liked the melon?
10. who didn't like it?
11. what hapopened to the melon?
12. by?
13. what happened next?
14. from?
15. where did the 'food' come from?
16. and went to?
17. who chased the mouse
Answer:
1. a cat
2. Steve the dog
3. a beautiful black cat
4. go looking for food
5. No
6. up and down the tracks
7. a wonderful meal
8. a big huge melon
9. one
10. Bob and Steve
11. It was eaten.
12. Bob
13. They heard bells
14. from the train
15. from the bushes
16. the barn
17. the black cat