Your mind ought to be concentrated on a single effort to
tell the truth. It's not such an easy thing to tell the truth as you
think. Lots of men try to and fail. In fact, I'm not sure that any
man could tell the truth unless he's had some training in metaphysics
and theology. When I was in college I took honours in logic--"
"You've often mentioned that to me before," said the Major. "It's one
of the things about you that I have most firmly fixed in my mind."
"And I won a prize for proving the accuracy of the Thirty-nine
Articles. Consequently, I may say, without boasting, that I'm more or
less of an expert in the matter of truth. My mind is trained. Yours,
of course, isn't. That's why I'm trying to help you to tell the truth.
But I won't--in fact, I can't--go on helping you if you wander off on
to side issues about ink-bottles and carpets."
He waved his hand oratorically as he spoke, and tipped the ink-bottle
off the arm of the chair.
"There," said the Major, "I knew you'd do that."
"Never mind," said Meldon. "I have a pencil in my pocket. I'll work
with it."
The Major seized the blotting-paper from his writing-table and went
down on his knees on the carpet.
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