When the doctor writes to Lecount, he writes in French.
Perhaps you meant me to translate it? You can't manage without my help,
can you? I write French as fluently as I write English. Just look at me!
I'll translate it, while I sit here, in two strokes of the pen."
He completed the translation almost as rapidly as Captain Wragge had
produced the original. "Wait a minute!" he cried, in high critical
triumph at discovering another defect in the composition of his
ingenious friend. "The doctor always dates his letters. Here is no date
to yours."
"I leave the date to you," said the captain, with a sardonic smile. "You
have discovered the fault, my dear sir--pray correct it!"
Noel Vanstone mentally looked into the great gulf which separates the
faculty that can discover a defect, from the faculty that can apply
a remedy, and, following the example of many a wiser man, declined to
cross over it.
"I couldn't think of ta king the liberty," he said, politely. "Perhaps
you had a motive for leaving the date out?"
"Perhaps I had," replied Captain Wragge, with his easiest good-humor.
"The date must depend on the time a letter takes to get to Zurich.
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