f them out. I wished it then fervently, and of
that wish, wicked though it be, I have never repented. He was for some
time occupied with holding his hand to his mouth, and in a rapid and
agonising examination of the extent of the damage. When he could spare
an instant for me, he was as little satisfied with the expression of my
features as with the alteration in his; so he hopped down to Monsieur
Cherfeuil, while the blood was streaming between his fingers, to lay his
complaint in form against me. I had two sure advocates below, so he
took nothing by his motion, but a lotion to wash his mouth with; and,
after staying below for a couple of hours, he came up with a swelled
face, but his teeth all perfect.

That morning Monsieur Cherfeuil, in very excellent bad English, made a
most impressive speech; the pith of it was, that, had I not taken the
law into my own hands, he would most certainly have discharged Mr
Riprapton, for having exceeded his authority in striking me, but as my
conduct had been very unjustifiable, I was sentenced to transcribe the
whole of the first book of the Aeneid. Before dinner my schoolfellows
had begged off one-half of the task.--Mrs Cherfeuil, at dinner, begged
off one-half of that half: when things had gone thus far, Mrs Causand
interfered, and argued for a commutation of punishment; the more
especially, as she thought an example ought to be made for so heinous an
offence. As she spake with a very serious air, the good-natured
Frenchman acquiesced in her wishes, and pledged himself to allow her to
inflict the penalty, which she promulgated to the following effect:
"That I should be forced to swallow an extra bumper of port for not
having knocked out, at least, one of the wretch's teeth;" and she then
related enough of his conduct to bring Monsieur Cherfeuil into her way
of thinking upon the subject.

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

A RECONCILIATION--A WALK PLANNED, AND A MAN PLANTED--THE LATTER FOUND TO
GROW IMPATIENT--RALPH AT LENGTH RIGGED OUT AS A REEFER.

For two days Mr Rip and myself were not upon speaking terms. On the
third day, a Master Barnard brings me up a slate-full of plusses,
minusses, _x, y, z's_, and other letters of the alphabet, in a most
amiable algebraical confusion.

"Take it to Mr Riprapton," said I. The lad took it, and the
mathematical master looked over it with a perplexed gravity, truly
edifying. "Take it to Master Rattlin--I have no time," was the result
of hi