I will make him lie.

It does seem to me that the boys must be blind to overlook such an obvious and simple trick as that." Eckert received us heartily--a pleasant-spoken, gentle-mannered creature.
We sat in the veranda an hour, sipping English ale, and talking about the king, and the sacred white elephant, the Sleeping Idol, and all manner of things; and I noticed that my comrade never led the conversation himself or shaped it, but simply followed Eckert's lead, and betrayed no solicitude and no anxiety about anything.

The effect was shortly perceptible.

Eckert began to grow communicative; he grew more and more at his ease, and more and more talkative and sociable.

Another hour passed in the same way, and then all of a sudden Eckert said: "Oh, by the way! I came near forgetting.