Secondly, he had been severely thrashed by his father, in the presence of the squire; the former laying on the lash with a vigour which satisfied Mr.Ellison, the heartiness of the thrashing being due, not to any indignation at the fault, but because the boy's conduct had excited the squire's anger; which Thorne, for many reasons, was anxious to deprecate.

He was his landlord, and had the power to turn him out at a quarter's notice; and as there was no possibility of obtaining any other house near, and he was doing by no means a bad trade, he was anxious to keep on good terms with him.
Tom Thorne was sitting on a gate, as Reuben passed.
"You think you be a fine fellow, Reuben, but I will be even with you, some day." "You can be even with me now," Reuben said, "if you like to get off that gate." "I bain't afeared of you, Reuben, don't you go to think it; only I ain't going to do any fighting now.

Feyther says if I get into any more rows, he will pay me out; so I can't lick you now, but some day I will be even with you." "That's a good excuse," Reuben said scornfully.

"However, I don't want to fight if you don't, only you keep your tongue to yourself.
I don't want to say nothing to you, if you don't say nothing to me.
You played me a dirty trick the other day, and you got well larrupped for it, so I don't owe you any grudge; but mind you, I don't want any more talk about your getting even with me, for if you do give me any more of it I will fetch you one on the nose, and then you will have a chance of getting even, at once." Tom Thorne held his tongue, only relieving his feelings by making a grimace after Reuben, as the latter passed on.

In the various contests among the boys of the village, Reuben had proved himself so tough an adversary that, although Tom Thorne was heavier and bigger, he did not care about entering upon what would be, at best, a doubtful contest with him.
Contenting himself, therefore, with another muttered, "I will be even with you some day," he strolled home to his father's ale house.
The change at the school was very speedily made.