t
because I--ah--happen to be peculiarly sensitive on the subject and----"
Here he broke off with a sharp yell, and began to rub his ankle. "One of
these young savages has just given me a severe kick; it's that fellow
over there, with the blue necktie. I have given him no provocation, and
he attacks me in this brutal manner, sir; I appeal to you for
protection!"

"So, Coker" (Coker wore a blue necktie), said the Doctor, "you emulate
the wild ass in more qualities than those of stupidity and stubbornness,
do you? You lash out with your hind legs at an inoffensive
school-fellow, with all the viciousness of a kangaroo, eh? Write out all
you find in Buffon's Natural History upon those two animals a dozen
times, and bring it to me by to-morrow evening. If I am to stable wild
asses, sir, they shall be broken in!"

Six pairs of sulky glowering eyes were fixed upon the unconscious Paul
for the rest of the journey; indignant protests and dark vows of
vengeance were muttered under cover of the friendly roar and rattle of
tunnels. But the object of them heard nothing; his composure was
returning once more in the sunshine of Dr. Grimstone's approbation, and
he almost decided on declaring himself in the station fly.

And now at last the train was grinding along discordantly with the
brakes on, and, after a little preliminary jolting and banging over the
points, drew up at a long lighted platform, where melancholy porters
paced up and down, croaking "Market Rodwell!" like so many Solomon
Eagles predicting woe.

Paul got out with the others, and walked forward to the guard's van,
where he stood shivering in the raw night air by a small heap of
portmanteaux and white clamped boxes.

"I should like to tell him all about it now," he thought, "if he wasn't
so busy. I'll get him to go in a cab alone with me, and get it over
before we reach the house."

Dr. Grimstone certainly did not seem in a very receptive mood for
confidences just then. No flys were to be seen, which he took as a
personal outrage, and visited upon the station-master in hot
indignation.

"It's scandalous, I tell you," he was saying: "scandalous! No cabs to
meet the train. My school reassembles to-day, and here I find no
arrangements made for their accommodation! Not even an omnibus! I shall
write to the manager and report this. Let some one go for a fly
immediately. Boys, go into the waiting room till I come to you.
Stay--there are too many for one fly. Coker,