Franz was shocked when he came to know that Mr. Hamel was leaving school for ever. He was sorry for not learning his lessons. His feeling had given a sea-change. He forgot all about Mr. Hamel’s ruler and hard discipline. Now he thought the books as his old friends whom he could not give up. He regretted and realised his foolishness.

The Church bell struck twelve. Mr. Hamel stood up from his chair. His face looked pale and troubled. His voice choked when he tried to utter ‘My friends’. On his failure to speak he wrote with a piece of chalk ‘Viva La France’-‘Long Live France’. Then he leaned against the wall and made his last announcement by making a gesture ‘School is dismissed–you may go’.

In the last lecture, M. Hamel told the importance of learning their own language. He pointed out that most of the people of Alsace pretended to be Frenchmen but they were illiterate about the language. Even the parents were indifferent towards its learning and they would prefer their sons to learn a little instead of learning the language. Blaming himself as well, he told that he himself had often sent the students to water his plants. He gave them a holiday because he wanted to go for fishing.

M. Hamel was a very dedicated and learned teacher of French language. While delivering his lesson, he touched upon many aspects of French. He called it the most clear and logical language in the world. He urged all to guard it and never to forget it. In case they hold fast in their language, they had the key to their prison.

While teaching grammar, M. Hamel taught it so dedicatedly and patiently that everything came in the mind of Franz. What- ever he said, it seemed very easy and interesting. Franz understood it so well. He had never listened to his teacher with so much rapt attention. It seemed as if the poor man wanted to give his students all he knew in one stroke.