I turned my attention to the French and Italian.

The old book was not of much value; I derived some benefit from it, however, and, conning it intensely, at the end of a few weeks obtained some insight into the structure of these two languages.

At length I had learnt all that the book was capable of informing me, yet was still far from the goal to which it had promised to conduct me.

"I wish I had a master!" I exclaimed; and the master was at hand.

In an old court of the old town lived a certain elderly personage, perhaps sixty, or thereabouts; he was rather tall, and something of a robust make, with a countenance in which bluffness was singularly blended with vivacity and grimace; and with a complexion which would have been ruddy, but for a yellow hue which rather predominated.