He was soon to be more gravely shaken.
Instigated partly by curiosity, partly by the desire to fix Louis' scared faculties, he began by asking what was the aspect of the phial which the lad had omitted to bring.

"What was its colour and size, and how full was it ?" he proceeded, striving to speak gently and to make allowance for the cowering weakness of the youth before him.

"Do you hear ?" he urged.

"Of what shape was it?
You can tell that at least.

You handled it, I suppose?
You took it out of the metal box ?" Louis burst into tears.
Blondel had much ado--for it was true, he had small command of himself--not to strike the lad again.