This right-minded conduct gratified James. He felt genially disposed
toward Adolf. He read the leading article, and proceeded to give a full
and kindly explanation of the hard words. He took trouble over it. He
went into the derivations of the words. He touched on certain rather
tricky sub-meanings of the same. Adolf went away with any doubts he
might have had of James's capabilities as a teacher of English
definitely scattered. He felt that he had got hold of the right man.
There was a shade less geniality in James's manner when the same thing
happened on the following morning. But he did not refuse to help the
untutored foreigner. The lecture was less exhaustive than that of the
previous morning, but we must suppose that it satisfied Adolf, for he
came again next day, his faith in his teacher undiminished.
James was trying to write a story. He turned on the student.
'Get out!' he howled. 'And take that beastly paper away. Can't you see
I'm busy? Do you think I can spend all my time teaching you to read?
Get out!'
'Dere some hard vord vos,' said Adolf, patiently, 'of which I gannot
dze meaning.'
James briefly cursed the hard word.
'But,' proceeded Adolf, 'of one vord, of dze vord "giss", I dze meaning
know. Zo!'
James looked at him. There was a pause.
Two minutes later the English lesson was in full swing.
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