k of labelling Fred as if he was some tailor's
dummy made me furious.

Dennison looked at me and then shouted for Ward. "Marten can tell us
what happened after we went, come and hear it."

"Wait a second. I am going to dine with Bunny at the Sceptre and am
changing."

In a minute he appeared and went on dressing.

"I think you are the meanest lot of brutes unhung," I began, for I had
been given time to think of something which would make Dennison see at
once that this joke was not such a good one after all. "Foster of
Oriel was one of the men you bolted from, and I was the other, and the
thing isn't ended yet, for they got Foster's name. You hit one woman
in the eye; do you think that very funny?"

"Sheer bad luck," Dennison said, but he did not look quite as unruffled
and smug as usual.

Ward stood with his tie in his hand and did not say a word. I knew
already that he had wanted to go back when he saw that there was a row,
and since he had neither recognized Foster nor me my wrath was
concentrated upon Dennison.

"You may call it what you like," I continued, "but if you get up a row
and then haven't the pluck to see it out I call it a dirty thing to do."

I thought that must be enough to rouse Dennison, but he actually smiled
at me and told me to go on.

"What do you think?" I asked Ward.

"Of course I did not recognize you and Foster, but when I saw those
people had buttoned on to the wrong man I said we ought to go back. I
wish that we had gone back," he answered.

"What did they do?" Dennison inquired.

"They found out Foster's name, and one of them, an awful man called Tom
Harrison, says he is going to get compensation from him because you hit
Susan in the eye with a pea and hadn't the decency to stay there and
own up to it. There's the dinner bell, and I'm about sick of you
fellows."

"I hit Susan in the eye," Dennison said reflectively. "Was Susan Tom
Harrison's inamorata?" he asked.

"Talk English and I may answer you. It doesn't matter a row of pins
who Susan was as long as she has a black eye," I replied.

"It is evidently no good speaking to you until you have calmed down.
You remind me of a damp squib, all fuss and no result. I am going to
dinner," Dennison said, and went out of the room without looking at
either Ward or myself.

"I shall do something awful to that brute before I have finished with
him. He makes me mad," I said, and Ward walked across the room to me.

"I am