anted to-day,' he said. 'Mr. Toad has changed
his mind. He will not require the car. Please understand that this is
final. You needn't wait.' Then he followed the others inside and shut
the door.

'Now then!' he said to the Toad, when the four of them stood together in
the Hall, 'first of all, take those ridiculous things off!'

'Shan't!' replied Toad, with great spirit. 'What is the meaning of this
gross outrage? I demand an instant explanation.'

'Take them off him, then, you two,' ordered the Badger briefly.

They had to lay Toad out on the floor, kicking and calling all sorts of
names, before they could get to work properly. Then the Rat sat on him,
and the Mole got his motor-clothes off him bit by bit, and they stood
him up on his legs again. A good deal of his blustering spirit seemed
to have evaporated with the removal of his fine panoply. Now that he was
merely Toad, and no longer the Terror of the Highway, he giggled
feebly and looked from one to the other appealingly, seeming quite to
understand the situation.

'You knew it must come to this, sooner or later, Toad,' the Badger
explained severely.

You've disregarded all the warnings we've given you, you've gone on
squandering the money your father left you, and you're getting us
animals a bad name in the district by your furious driving and your
smashes and your rows with the police. Independence is all very well,
but we animals never allow our friends to make fools of themselves
beyond a certain limit; and that limit you've reached. Now, you're a
good fellow in many respects, and I don't want to be too hard on you.
I'll make one more effort to bring you to reason. You will come with
me into the smoking-room, and there you will hear some facts about
yourself; and we'll see whether you come out of that room the same Toad
that you went in.'

He took Toad firmly by the arm, led him into the smoking-room, and
closed the door behind them.

'THAT'S no good!' said the Rat contemptuously. 'TALKING to Toad'll never
cure him. He'll SAY anything.'

They made themselves comfortable in armchairs and waited patiently.
Through the closed door they could just hear the long continuous drone
of the Badger's voice, rising and falling in waves of oratory; and
presently they noticed that the sermon began to be punctuated at
intervals by long-drawn sobs, evidently proceeding from the bosom
of Toad, who was a soft-hearted and affectionate fellow, very easily
converted--f