However, he was obliged to try some other mode of getting popular, and this one occurred to him.

It's clever idea, really.
If you had shown the white feather, and let him pull your nose, he'd have got it into the paper; if you had sworn the peace against him, it would have been in the paper too, and he'd have been just as much talked about as you--don't you see ?' 'Oh, certainly,' rejoined Nicholas; 'but suppose I were to turn the tables, and pull HIS nose, what then?
Would that make his fortune ?' 'Why, I don't think it would,' replied Mr Folair, scratching his head, 'because there wouldn't be any romance about it, and he wouldn't be favourably known.

To tell you the truth though, he didn't calculate much upon that, for you're always so mild-spoken, and are so popular among the women, that we didn't suspect you of showing fight.

If you did, however, he has a way of getting out of it easily, depend upon that.' 'Has he ?' rejoined Nicholas.

'We will try, tomorrow morning.