You are aware of what has taken place this last night.

Two amongst you must be guilty; but I wish to forgive them, and to save their honour I promise that their names shall not be made public.

I expect every one of you to come to me for confession before recess." He left the dormitory, and we dressed ourselves.

In the afternoon, in obedience to his orders, we all went to him and confessed, after which ceremony we repaired to the garden, where my friend told me that, having unfortunately met the prefect after he left me, he had thought that the best way was to knock him down, in order to get time to reach his own bed without being known.
"And now," I said, "you are certain of being forgiven, for, of course, you have wisely confessed your error ?" "You are joking," answered my friend; "why, the good rector would not have known any more than he knows at present, even if my visit to you had been paid with a criminal intent." "Then you must have made a false confession: you are at all events guilty of disobedience ?" "That may be, but the rector is responsible for the guilt, as he used compulsion." "My dear friend, you argue in a very forcible way, and the very reverend rector must by this time be satisfied that the inmates of our dormitory are more learned than he is himself." No more would have been said about the adventure if, a few nights after, I had not in my turn taken a fancy to return the visit paid by my friend.
Towards midnight, having had occasion to get out of bed, and hearing the loud snoring of the prefect, I quickly put out the lantern and went to lie beside my friend.

He knew me at once, and gladly received me; but we both listened attentively to the snoring of our keeper, and when it ceased, understanding our danger, I got up and reached my own bed without losing a second, but the moment I got to it I had a double surprise.