He knew by this circumstance that it was roguery, not accident, which caused the smoke.

He appeared not to notice it, however, said he was sorry it smoked, and asked the mischievous boy--for he was sure to be always near in such a case--to assist him in putting up the wood of the fire more compactly.

The boy supposed that the smoke was understood to be accidental, and perhaps secretly laughed at the dullness of his master.
In the course of the afternoon, the teacher ascertained by private inquiries that his suspicions were correct as to the author of the mischief.

At the close of school, when the studies were ended, and the books laid away, he said to the scholars that he wanted to tell them a story.
He then, with a pleasant tone and manner, gave a very minute, and, to the boys, a very interesting narrative of his adventure two or three weeks before, when he rescued this boy from his danger.

He called him, however, simply _a boy_, without mentioning his name, or even hinting that he was a member of the school.