; he also tried to bite Jeremy's
hand and also to pull his hair. But his own terror handicapped him;
every inch of his body was alarmed, and that alarm prevented the freedom
of his limbs. Then when he felt the blood from his nose trickle on to
his cheek his resistance was at an end; panic flooded over him like
water. He broke away and flung himself howling on to the ground, kicking
his legs and screaming:

"It isn't fair! He's bitten me! Take him away! Take him away!"

Jeremy himself was no beautiful sight. His hair was wild, his white navy
collar crumpled and soiled, the buttons of his tunic torn, his stocking
down, and his legs already displaying purple bruises. But he did not
care; he was well now; he was no longer unhappy.

He had beaten Ernest and he was a man; he had risen victorious from his
first fight, and Authority might storm as it pleased. Authority soon
arrived, and there were, of course, many cries and exclamations. Ernest
was led away still howling; Jeremy, stubborn, obstinate, and silent, was
also led away.... A disgraceful incident.

Aunt Amy, of course, was disgusted. Couldn't leave the boy alone one
minute but he must misbehave himself, upset the party, be the little
ruffian that he always was. She had always said that his mother spoiled
him, and here were the fruits of that foolishness. How could she ever
say enough to Miss Maddison? Her delightful party completely ruined!...
Shocking!... Shocking!... Too terrible!. .. And Ernest, such a quiet,
well-behaved little boy as a rule. It must have been Jeremy who...

While they were waiting in the decent dusk of Miss Maddison's
sitting-room for a cleaned and chastened Jeremy, Mary touched her aunt's
arm and whispered in her nervous voice:

"Aunt Amy--Jeremy hit Ernest because he said rude things about you."

"About me! Nonsense, child."

"No, but it was, really. Ernest said horrid things about you, and then
Jeremy hit him."

"About me? What things?"

"That you were ugly," eagerly continued Mary--never a tactful child,
and intent now only upon Jeremy's reputation--"and wore ugly clothes and
horrid things. He did really. I heard it all."

Aunt Amy was deeply moved. Her conceit, her abnormal all-embracing
conceit was wounded--yes, even by so insignificant a creature as the
Dean's Ernest; but she was also unexpectedly touched. She would have
greatly preferred not to be touched, but there it was, she could not
help herself. She did not know that, i