THIS WEEK’S HOMEWORK

Contains:
1. Articles [2 articles: two of Literature, Social Science,
Science, History] and the others are optional
2. Novel [Optional]
3. Vocabulary [One Unit + Last’s week’s answer key]
4. Ordering the paragraph + Last’s week’s answer key
5. Motivational Video

The video below explains exactly what to do in the

homework:
: ‫ﺗﺘﻔﺮج ﻋﻠﻲ اﻟﻔﯿﺪﯾﻮ ﻋﺸﺎن ﺗﻌﺮف ﺗﻌﻤﻞ اﯾﮫ ﺑﻈﺒﻂ‬
https://youtu.be/-HP2KREW-vY

EVERYTHING SHOULD BE SUBMITTED ON

THURSDAY 11 PM.

This homework is obligatory (except the novel part which is

optional) andit is for everyone (for those who registered EST,
SAT, or ACT and the Beginners).

● The homework takes about 2 to 3 days to be corrected, and in case

there is any questions, you can always contact the assistants.
SOME NOTES YOU NEED TO KNOW

● The weekly homework is sent on Friday afternoon and is submitted with

a week, Thursday 11 pm.
● To submit the homework, you will send to the assigned English assistant
privately via WhatsApp.

Before starting the homework, you need to read the instructions and watch
the video, which I will send right to the group to know exactly what to do.
If anything isn’t clear, feel free to text me privately.
TO AVOID ANY CONFUSION
● The articles are NOT an optional part of the homework- only the
novel is.
● For the articles’ homework, you are asked to give the main
idea of every one or two paragraphs not the summary of the
text.
 ARTICLES

Kindly watch the video below to understand what you will do

with the articles.

‫اﻟﺰم ﺗﺘﻔﺮج ﻋﻠﻲ ﻓﯿﺪﯾﻮ ﺷﺮح ﻣﻔﺮوض ﺗﻌﻤﻞ اﯾﮫ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺠﺰء ده ﻣﻦ اﻟﻮاﺟﺐ‬

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dolWZH27_IQtarsvAu8SZaWeiVnwQLNl/view?us
p=sharing

1. Skim the article

2. Write the main idea
3. Start scanning the article and while scanning you will get the
new vocabulary words, and the connection between
paragraphs and the main idea for each paragraph.

‫ ﺗﻘﺮأ اﻟﻤﻘﺎل ﻗﺮاﯾﮫ ﺳﺮﯾﻌﺔ ﻋﻠﺸﺎن ﺗﻔﮭﻢ ﻓﻜﺮه ﻋﺎﻣﺔ ﻋﻦ اﻟﻤﻮﺿﻮع‬1

‫ اﻛﺘﺐ اﻟﻔﻜﺮة اﻟﺮﺋﯿﺴﯿﺔ‬2
‫ اﻗﺮا اﻟﺒﺎﺳﺪج ﻗﺮاﯾﮫ ﻣﻔﺼﻠﮫ و اﻧﺘﺎ ﺑﺘﻘﺮأ اﻛﺘﺐ اﻟﻔﻜﺮة ﻟﻜﻞ ﺟﺰء و اﻛﺘﺐ اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻘﺔ ﺑﯿﻨﮭﻢ‬3

For THE ADVANCED GROUPS ONLY:

This part is optional!! For every article, try to create a question

like those in the tests.
 To those who keep slaves, and approve the practice
ushistory.org/documents/richardallen.htm

Historic Documents
Richard Allen, 1794

The judicious part of mankind will think it unreasonable that a superior good conduct is
looked for from our race, by those who stigmatize us as men, whose baseness is incurable,
and may therefore be held in a state of servitude, that a merciful man would not doom a
beast to; yet you try what you can to prevent our rising from a state of barbarism you
represent us to be in, but we can tell you from a degree of experience that a black man,
black people although reduced to the most abject state human nature is capable of, short of real
are just the
same as the madness, can think, reflect, and feel injuries, although it may not be with the same degree
other races of keen resentment and revenge that you who have been and are our great oppressors
would manifest if reduced to the pitiable condition of a slave.

We believe if you would try the experiment of taking a few black children, and cultivate
their minds with the same care, and let them have the same prospect in view as to living
in the world, as you would wish for your own children, you would find upon the trial, they
were not inferior in mental endowments.

I do not wish to make you angry, but excite attention to consider how hateful slavery is in
the sight of that God who hath destroyed kings and princes for their oppression of the
poor slaves. Pharaoh and his princes with the posterity of king Saul, were destroyed by the
protector and avenger of slaves. Would you not suppose the Israelites to be utterly unfit
Slavery is
for freedom, and that it was impossible for them, to obtain to any degree of excellence?
hated by
God
Their history shows how slavery had debased their spirits. Men must be willfully blind,
and extremely partial, that cannot see the contrary effects of liberty and slavery upon the
mind of man; I truly confess the vile habits often acquired in a state of servitude, are not
easily thrown off; the example of the Israelites shows, who with all that Moses could do to
reclaim them from it, still continued in their habits more or less; and why will you look for
better from us, why will you look for grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? It is in our
posterity enjoying the same privileges with your own, that you ought to look for better
things.

When you are pleaded with, do not you reply as Pharaoh did, "Wherefore do ye Moses and
Aaron let the people from their work, behold the people of the land now are many, and
you make them rest from their burthens." We wish you to consider that God himself was
the first pleader of the cause of slaves.

1/3
 That God who knows the hearts of all men, and the propensity of a slave to hate his
oppressor, hath strictly forbidden it to his chosen people, "Thou shalt not abhor an
Egyptian, because thou wast a stranger in his land." Deut. 23. 7. The meek and humble
Jesus, the great pattern of humanity, and every other virtue that can adorn and dignify
men, hath commanded to love our enemies, to do good to them that hate and despitefully
show love to
your enemies use us. I feel the obligations, I wish to impress them on the minds of our colored brethren,
and that we may all forgive you, as we wish to be forgiven, we think it a great mercy to
have all anger and bitterness removed from our minds; I appeal to your own feelings, if it
is not very disquieting to feel yourselves under dominion of wrathful disposition.

If you love your children, if you love your country, if you love the God of love, clear your
hands from slaves, burthen not your children or your country with them, my heart has
been sorry for the blood shed of the oppressors, as well as the oppressed, both appear
end slavery
guilty of each others blood, in the sight of him who hath said, he that sheddeth man's
blood, by man shall his blood be shed.

Will you, because you have reduced us to the unhappy condition our color is in, plead our
enslaved blackincapacity for freedom, and our contented condition under oppression, as a sufficient
apear content cause for keeping us under the grievous yoke. I have shown the cause, — I will also show
to whites
why they appear contented as they can in your sight, but the dreadful insurrections they
have made when opportunity has offered, is enough to convince a reasonable man, that
great uneasiness and not contentment, is the inhabitant of their hearts. God himself hath
pleaded their cause, he hath from time to time raised up instruments for that purpose,
sometimes mean and contemptible in your sight, at other times he hath used such as it
hath pleased him, with whom you have not thought it beneath your dignity to contend.
Many have need convinced of their error, condemned their former conduct, and become
zealous advocates for the cause of those, whom you will not suffer to plead for themselves.
 People Shopping for ‘Meaning’ Buy Cheaper Goods
scientificamerican.com/article/people-shopping-for-meaning-buy-cheaper-goods

Nicole Mead

Credit: fotostorm/Getty Images

During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Danone Portugal introduced a new
yogurt named Juntos, which means “together” in Portuguese. For every pack of yogurt
that a person bought, Danone Portugal would donate yogurt to a family in need.

Danone's Danone had done its research. Increasingly, people say they want to buy from brands that
attempt to
market a do good, that give them sense of purpose. Surely a yogurt that helped the needy would be
socially appealing. But Juntos was a failure. Despite sinking millions into a state-of-the-art
responsible
yogur marketing campaign, Danone pulled Juntos from the market only months after it
launched. Now the same product is simply marketed as a tasty yogurt. What happened?

In the case of Juntos, it is possible that the emphasis on meaningful choices backfired. In
people focusmy research, I have found that when people prioritize meaning, they tend to buy cheaper
on lower
prices, not stuff. This finding surprised me. I shared the intuition that people spend more on
the meaningful
thing itself. meaningful choices. But in a series of experiments, involving more than 2,800 people in
Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, my colleague Lawrence Williams at the
University of Colorado Boulder and I consistently found that was not the case. When
looking for meaning, people become focused on the price tag rather than how the product,
experience or service they are buying could itself be a source of significance. As a result,
people may benefit themselves less.

1/3
 For example, in several experiments, we showed people pairings of experiences (for
people instance, two cooking classes), services (such as their choice of a cup of coffee) or
picked products (say, two cameras). We asked them to pick one option from each pair that they
cheaper
options. would purchase. We also gave some people a prompt. For instance, we encouraged some
to “derive meaning from your choices,” reminding them to focus on aspects of these
choices that were “purposeful, fulfilling and valuable.” Others were told to “enjoy
yourself” and focus on “delight and pleasure.” We found that participants who prioritized
meaning preferred the less expensive product, service or experience when compared with
people who prioritized pleasure or who had no specific goal.

We then designed an experiment that gave people greater freedom to choose their purchases—
just in case our findings reflected reactions to the options we had offered.
Specifically, people received a budget of £75 (approximately $100 at the time) to shop on
Amazon. The platform’s extensive range of products enables most people to find
something meaningful to them. To make the study as realistic as possible, participants
when askedknew they could receive their chosen purchases, plus any money they did not spend. For
to make a
meaningful instance, if they chose a £30 product, they would receive it along with £45. Once again,
choice, the people asked to make a meaningful choice selected less expensive products than those
people tend
to chose shopping without a given goal.
cheaper
options
So why were meaning-seekers cheaping out? We asked participants to explain their
decision-making to find out. We learned that meaning-oriented people were not thinking
about how the product, service or experience they might buy could bring meaning into
their lives. Instead, they were preoccupied with what else they could do with their money.
For instance, people considered donating the money to charity or setting it aside for their
children’s education fund. In other words, spending money may not have seemed like a
meaningful exercise, so they focused on the money they could save by buying the cheaper
option.

I study savings with a focus on strategies that benefit consumer well-being. I am all for
people making wise and strategic financial choices. But cheap products can create many
cheap other problems. Inexpensive options often do not last as long as the higher-end ones. As a
products can
create manyresult, we shop more often, which is ultimately worse for our wallets. Plus, that spending
problems.
pattern can take a greater toll on the environment. Thanks in part to fast fashion, people
buy 60 percent more clothing today than they did 15 years ago. The fashion industry alone
emits more global carbon emissions than international flights and maritime shipping
combined. Meanwhile, mass-produced “fast furniture” is coming under scrutiny, in part
for stuffing landfills. And anyone who has bought electronics or appliances in the past
decade knows that low durability and rapid disposal are a common trade-off with cheaper
goods.

In addition, by buying cheaper products, meaning-oriented people may be missing out on

the opportunity to use spending as a tool to create meaning.To unpack this idea, think
about the Mastercard Priceless campaign. In these advertisements, Mastercard shows a
series of purchases that all lead up to a final “priceless” moment. It’s a gimmick, yes, but it

people cant spend there money in a way they enjoy.

2/3
captures something real. Mastercard is not trying to convince you that buying things is a
meaningful endeavor. Instead, they are communicating how your purchases can help
build meaningful moments.

Cultural and societal attitudes may help explain why some people hesitate to link meaning
and spending. For instance, in the countries we have studied, people are inundated by
advertisements that promise certain objects or services will deliver infinitely more than
they actually can: creams that keep you young, and cars that project a life of luxury. As a
result, people may develop a reactive skepticism that makes them resistant to the
possibility that spending money can help achieve a sense of meaning. To quote Oscar
Wilde, a cynic is someone “who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

Fortunately, there are ways for us to overcome our attraction to cheap options. We have
found that reminding people to focus on the current purchase, rather than what else they
can buy, helps reorient meaning-seekers to the benefits of what they are spending on.

For example, when we asked people if they wanted to buy either a basic photo album or a
premium handmade one, people who prioritized meaning once again preferred the
cheaper version. However, when we also asked meaning-seekers to consider the merits
and drawbacks of each option, they preferred the premium, handmade album, which
could keep their memories safe in a beautiful, long-lasting way. In a similar vein, telling
people that higher-end products are often more durable encouraged meaning-seekers to
select premium products over cheaper counterparts. The prompt reminded them that
more expensive products, services and experiences could deliver more benefits over time
than less expensive ones.

So before you dive into today’s Black Friday deals and holiday shopping, try not to fixate
only on what you are spending or saving—think carefully about what you are buying, too.

Are you a scientist who specializes in neuroscience, cognitive science or psychology? And
have you read a recent peer-reviewed paper that you would like to write about for Mind
Matters? Please send suggestions to Scientific American’s Mind Matters editor Daisy
Yuhas at pitchmindmatters@gmail.com.

Rights & Permissions

ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)

Nicole Mead is a behavioral scientist at the Schulich School of Business, York University
in Toronto, Canada. She studies the psychology of money, sustainability and meaningful
choice with a focus on identifying surprising strategies that people can use to live their
best lives. Nicole is the founder of the Well-Being Research Lab (WiRL) and the author of
the blog “The Happy Consumer” for Psychology Today.

3/3
The Rose Family

The rose is a rose,

And was always a rose.
But the theory now goes
That the apple's a rose, The main idea of this poem
is to highlight the beauty and
And the pear is, and so's uniqueness of the rose flower.
The plum, I suppose.
The dear only knows
What will next prove a rose.
You, of course, are a rose -
But were always a rose.

Robert Frost
 NOVEL

THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER by Mark Twain

For the Novel part, we will be reading about 20-30 pages per
week. If you decide to do this task, you’ll be asked to read the
chapters assigned and write the main idea.

Each friday, in the novel’s discussion group, you guys are gonna
discuss the part you were assigned and make memes and have
fun with it and we will also join…

This week’s pages to read: 370-390

This novel’s link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16VIRGFON1o45PLMrJBsEyA6J
uEsdJyZg/view?usp=sharing
 VOCABULARY

First, to practice the vocabulary in context, there is a small paragraph

that includes all the vocabulary words; you will read it and guess the
meanings of the words. Then, to know if you’re on the right track,
head to the unit words and check your guesses.

Afterwards, you will memorize the words and then solve the
questions. To correct and know your mistakes, an answer key will
be sent along with next week’s new homework.

Kindly watch the video below to understand what you will do

with the vocabulary part.

‫اﻟﺰم ﺗﺘﻔﺮج ﻋﻠﻲ ﻓﯿﺪﯾﻮ ﺷﺮح ﻣﻔﺮوض ﺗﻌﻤﻞ اﯾﮫ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺠﺰء ده ﻣﻦ اﻟﻮاﺟﺐ‬

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-bxp1hGrOnErH-l1duc
GH- VdFn6Tb5lV/view?usp=drivesdk

Also after this week’s unit, you will find last week’s unit answer
key to check your work.
 paw
handbook

enlist
camouflage

vigil
weary

lush
torches

contemplated
outfit
 I

I
C

I
I

C
T

F
only a boomerange and handbook

he thought the military would teach him courage

a loud noise

he was afraid a monsetr woudl attack him

he decided to stay by the fire

his fear
 ORDERING THE PARAGRAPH

You’re asked to rearrange the given random sentences to form a

cohesive text. To correct and know your mistakes, an answer key will
be uploaded next Tuesday.

Also after this week’s unit, you will find last week’s unit answer key
to check your work.
 This week’s

Electrons are proficient little magicians.

But one of their most impressive tricks is deceptively simple, like all the best
4
magic.

2
They seem to flit about an atom without tracing a particular path, they
frequently appear to be in two places at once, and their behavior in silicon
microchips powers the computing infrastructure of the modern world.

Every electron ever observed, whether it’s just ambling its way about a carbon
1 atom in your fingernail or speeding through a particle accelerator, looks like
it’s constantly doing tiny pirouettes as it makes its way through the world.

3 Electrons always seem to spin.

 Last week’s answer key

3
 MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO

For the Motivational Video (so important to watch), you are asked to
write a short summary, the thing you learned from the video, or a
voice note talking about the video.

https://youtu.be/GJIrXqx2A0c
The Downside of Solar Energy
As renewable energy expands, used photovoltaic panels are creating a growing waste problem—
but recycling could be the answer

The solar economy continues its dramatic growth, with over a half-terawatt already installed
around the world generating clean electricity. But what happens to photovoltaic (PV) modules at
the end of their useful life? With lifespans measured in decades, PV-waste disposal may seem to
be an issue for the distant future. Yet, the industry ships millions of tons every year, and that
number will continue to rise as the industry grows. Total e-waste—including computers,
televisions, and mobile phones—is around 45 million metric tons annually.

By comparison, PV-waste in 2050 will be twice that figure. Motivated by concerns about
exposure to toxic materials, increased disposal costs and overcapacity at landfills managed by
underfunded local governments, researchers are exploring global solar waste management
solutions based on concepts like the circular economy.

At the same time, demand for everything from sand to rare and precious metals continues to
rise. While supplying only about 1 percent of global electricity, photovoltaics already relies on 40
percent of the global tellurium supply, 15 percent of the silver supply, a large portion of
semiconductor quality quartz supply, and smaller but important segments of the indium, zinc,
tin, and gallium supplies. Closing the loop on these metals and embracing circular economy
concepts will be critical to the industry’s future.
Europe is leading the way

The leading policy with a proven record of successful end-of-life product management is
extended producer responsibility (EPR). A decade ago, European PV manufacturers began
participating in a voluntary EPR system called “PV Cycle.” In 2014, when the industry came
under the Waste Electronics and Electrical (WEEE) Directive, all manufacturers were required
to participate in an EPR program. Since 2009, the EPR program run by PV Cycle has recycled
over 30,000 metric tons of PV, and with the establishment of collection centers, has driven a
market in second-life PV modules.

In the U.S., there is no federal e-waste regulation to motivate PV-waste collection and recycling.
Federal law only requires special management for PV modules that are characterized as
hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Some PV modules are
considered hazardous waste because of lead or cadmium, others are not considered hazardous
waste at all. Since it is not possible to tell whether a PV module is hazardous from visual
inspection, many argue it is simpler to collect all PV modules.

States in the U.S. are taking the lead. In 2020, manufacturers wishing to sell into New York or
Washington markets, will be required to participate in a take-back and collection or EPR
program. Several California agencies, a state with more than half of the nations’ installed PV
capacity, recently convened a task force to evaluate options, including EPR, for recycling both
PVs and lithium-ion batteries.

Without clear incentives, recycling markets are struggling struggle

The primary challenge to recycling PV today is finding value in the recovered materials
compared to the costs of collection and recovery. The International Renewable Energy Agency
reported that recovered materials could exceed $15 billion dollars (U.S.) by 2050. But a cost-
effective PV-waste collection and recovery system capable of high-value material recovery
remains elusive. Most of the value in PV-waste is in the aluminum frame and the silver in the
metallization paste. Getting higher-value PV recycling will require expertise in managing glass.
80–90 percent of a module by weight is made from glass.

Recycled glass can be returned to its highest value form many times over, if free of
contamination. The challenge today is that recyclers are not able make to high-quality glass
from from PV-waste because of contamination by antimony (added forclarity), and plastics
debris from the backsheet and encapsulant. Decision-making about glass materials is an area in
need of both innovation in recycling technologies, but also better communications between
product designers and waste handlers.

Market signals are essential to attracting investment in recycling infrastructure. SolarWorld in

2008 experimented with recycling technologies when polysilicon spot prices spiked in the
2000s. The recycled silicon became a hedge on the price for their supply. They demonstrated
that recycled silicon resulted in 50 percent reduction in energy needed to make an entire PV
module just by using 100 percent recycled silicon feedstock. But this pilot facility never scaled to
the automated PV recycling facility they planned and was closed early as the company struggled
to compete with emerging PV manufacturers.
Innovation and public policy are key

Recycling PV-waste will require innovations in material processing and reverse logistics. Many
types of recovery processes have been explored, including recycling all types of PV-waste in bulk,
versus specific methods for particular PV technologies. The optimal mechanism to take-back PV
is also unclear at this time. How to best collect distributed PV-waste with minimal driving. The
best pathways forward have yet to be identified.

Voluntary measures may work, but probably will not go far enough. EPR is most effectively
when it is mandatory because it helps avoid free riders, companies that benefit from recycling
but do not pay into it. There are many solar power advocates that view mandatory EPR
negatively, arguing that it adds costs to the industry as it competes against natural gas. Some
manufacturers have asked for recycling laws to level the playing field.

The National Standards International/American National Standards Institute has a

sustainability leadership standard that rewards companies participating in take-back and
collection schemes that are not funded by customers. First Solar has recycling facilities capable
of recovering 95 percent of the semiconductor materials and nearly all of its tellurium. This
helps them meet regulatory requirements around cadmium content and guarantees to keep it
out of landfill, while acting as a hedge to investors against tellurium supplies and price volatility.

All of these trends point to a need for greener product design and supply chain responsibility to
ensure sustainability. Solar energy is critical to addressing both climate change and energy
poverty. Embracing a circular economy approach to PV-waste and materials recovery is urgently
needed to support those roles.
Fat And Thin
by Anton Chekhov

Time and again, Chekhov used his stories to attack and pillory the strict vertical nature of
Russian society during his time. Here he is revisiting that theme in Fat and Thin, where he uses
the friendship of two old classmates to draw out the lesson, using a marked change in the
conversation between old friends when one of them discloses his position in life to the other.

Karl Witkowski, Pick a Hand, 1889

Two friends -- one a fat man and the other a thin man -- met at the Nikolaevsky station. The fat

man had just dined in the station and his greasy lips shone like ripe cherries. He smelt of sherry

and fleur d'orange. The thin man had just slipped out of the train and was laden with

portmanteaus, bundles, and bandboxes. He smelt of ham and coffee grounds. A thin woman

with a long chin, his wife, and a tall schoolboy with one eye screwed up came into view behind

his back.

"Porfiry," cried the fat man on seeing the thin man. "Is it you? My dear fellow! How many

summers, how many winters!"

"Holy saints!" cried the thin man in amazement. "Misha! The friend of my childhood! Where have

you dropped from?"

The friends kissed each other three times, and gazed at each other with eyes full of tears. Both

were agreeably astounded.

"My dear boy!" began the thin man after the kissing. "This is unexpected! This is a surprise!

Come have a good look at me! Just as handsome as I used to be! Just as great a darling and a

dandy! Good gracious me! Well, and how are you? Made your fortune? Married? I am married

as you see. . . . This is my wife Luise, her maiden name was Vantsenbach . . . of the Lutheran

persuasion ........ And this is my son Nafanail, a schoolboy in the third class. This is the friend of

my childhood, Nafanya. We were boys at school together!"

Nafanail thought a little and took off his cap.

"We were boys at school together," the thin man went on. "Do you remember how they used to

tease you? You were nicknamed Herostratus because you burned a hole in a schoolbook with a

cigarette, and I was nicknamed Ephialtes because I was fond of telling tales. Ho--ho! .......we

were children! ....... Don't be shy, Nafanya. Go nearer to him. And this is my wife, her maiden

name was Vantsenbach, of the Lutheran persuasion ...... "

Nafanail thought a little and took refuge behind his father's back.
"Well, how are you doing my friend?" the fat man asked, looking enthusiastically at his friend.

"Are you in the service? What grade have you reached?"

"I am, dear boy! I have been a collegiate assessor for the last two years and I have the

Stanislav. The salary is poor, but that's no great matter! The wife gives music lessons, and I go

in for carving wooden cigarette cases in a private way. Capital cigarette cases! I sell them for a

rouble each. If any one takes ten or more I make a reduction of course. We get along somehow.

I served as a clerk, you know, and now I have been transferred here as a head clerk in the

same department. I am going to serve here. And what about you? I bet you are a civil councillor

by now? Eh?"

"No dear boy, go higher than that," said the fat man. "I have risen to privy councillor already . . .

I have two stars."

The thin man turned pale and rigid all at once, but soon his face twisted in all directions in the

broadest smile; it seemed as though sparks were flashing from his face and eyes. He squirmed,

he doubled together, crumpled up........ His portmanteaus, bundles and cardboard boxes

seemed to shrink and crumple up too ........ His wife's long chin grew longer still; Nafanail drew

himself up to attention and fastened all the buttons of his uniform.

"Your Excellency, I....... delighted! The friend, one may say, of childhood and to have turned into

such a great man! He--he!"

"Come, come!" the fat man frowned. "What's this tone for? You and I were friends as boys, and

there is no need of this official obsequiousness!"

"Merciful heavens, your Excellency! What are you saying ...... ?" sniggered the thin man,

wriggling more than ever. "Your Excellency's gracious attention is like refreshing manna. . . .

This, your Excellency, is my son Nafanail, ...... my wife Luise, a Lutheran in a certain sense."
The fat man was about to make some protest, but the face of the thin man wore an expression

of such reverence, sugariness, and mawkish respectfulness that the privy councillor was

sickened. He turned away from the thin man, giving him his hand at parting.

The thin man pressed three fingers, bowed his whole body and sniggered like a Chinaman: "He-

-he--he!" His wife smiled. Nafanail scraped with his foot and dropped his cap. All three were

agreeably overwhelmed.