express myself clearly?" concluded Stanley, turning
to his colleagues.

"Perfectly," said Kepple-Goddard.

"Well, Doe, did you grasp the drift of all I said?"

"I wasn't listening."

Stanley, nonplussed, looked round upon the jury. Banana-Skin
muttered: "The little devil!" Bickerton from the fender sighed:
"_St. St._ Ah, me! to think how we've swept and garnished the Gray
Doe! 'I never loved a dear gazelle, But what it turned and stung me
well.'"

"Dry up, Bicky," came the president's rebuke, "and go and turn away
those kids who are making a row with their feet in the corridor.
Remain on guard out there, if you don't mind. It's behaviour like
Doe's that makes these kids so uppish. Thanks, Bicky."

There was a sound of scurrying feet and repressed impish laughter,
as Bickerton opened the door and shut it behind him.

"Now, Doe," resumed Stanley, "what have you to say for yourself
before we leave the talking and get to business?"

"Nothing," replied Doe, "except that I'll go on being pally with Ray
whatever you do, you--you set of cads!"

"I say"--Stanley was keeping his temper--"don't play the persecuted
hero defying the world. It won't wash here."

"I'm not playing the persecuted hero," retorted Doe loudly, but with
drowned eyes. "I didn't think myself mighty clever--I--"

"I thought you hadn't been listening," put in Banana-Skin in a quiet
and torturing way.

"And I thought you'd nothing to say for yourself," added another.

"Steady, Banana," remonstrated Stanley, "don't tease the kid."

"They're not teasing me. I don't care what they say or what any of
you do."

"What a little liar it is!" taunted Banana-Skin, "when he's fairly
blubbing there."

"I'm not!"

"Fetch the cane out," pursued Banana-Skin, unheeding. "It's no good
talking. Get him over that chair, Kepple."

"You shan't!" said Doe, trembling terribly.

"By jove!" cried Stanley, jumping up. "He's going to show fight, is
he? Pass over that cane. Now, bend over that chair, youngster."

"I won't."

"Look here, you unutterable fool. Here's the cane. See it? If you do
what you're told you'll get a stiff whacking, but if you don't, by
God, there's no saying what you'll get."

Doe sprang forward, seized the cane, smashed it, and hurled the
pieces into their midst. "Now then, you cads, you can't lick me, you
brutes, you fools! Come for me--you lot of great devils!" He roared
this at them, and the last words were shouted in a burst of
hys