laughter going on at the window above. What was happening I did not
know, but I suspected that some fresh game had begun and I wanted very
much to know what it was. I did not, however, wish them to see me nor
was I anxious for Fred to see them, so I suggested that we should start
back to Oxford. Fred agreed to this, and getting up from his chair he
walked out into the garden. No sooner was he on the lawn than I saw
him jump like a hare and put his hand up to his neck. At the same
moment the beanfeasters rushed out of their arbour and fairly went for
him. While this happened I was standing at the window wondering how I
could persuade him to come back into the room, but as soon as I saw
these two aggressive-looking men, not to mention their ladies, talking
to him in most bellicose language, I went out. One of them at once
caught hold of me by the coat and spoke so fast and strangely that I
did not altogether understand what he was saying. He mentioned the
name of Susan a great many times, and when he had finished tugging at
my coat I asked him if there was anything the matter with the lady.

"Look at 'er," he said; "just look at 'er. I'm a respectable married
man, married, last Thursday as ever was, and I'll 'ave compensation for
this as sure as my name's Tom 'Arrison."

I did not want to hear any more of his autobiography, so I looked at
the lady pointed out as Susan. I couldn't see much of her face because
she had her hand over it, but I did not think they were an ill-assorted
couple.

"Has she been stung by a wasp?" I asked. "A blue-bag----"

"Look 'ere," the man interrupted and caught me again by the coat, "none
of your bloomin' innocence. You spied us out in that 'ere arbour, and
'ave been peppering us with peas for the last ever so long, and one of
you 'as 'it Susan sock in the eye. Enough to make 'er an object for a
fortnight, and us newly married. Where, I should like to know, do I
come in?" and I had great difficulty in wriggling his hand away from my
coat. The man made me angry, and I told him I hadn't the least notion
where he came in, but if he thought we were big enough babies to use
peashooters he was jolly well mistaken. I looked round at Foster and
found that he was being talked at by the remaining couple, who also
looked as if they were newly married. I heard the word Bella, and saw
the lady so called endeavouring to draw Foster's attention to a mark on
her arm. Susan stood in the mid