If he was grateful to me he concealed his feelings wonderfully; for he seized me by the coat collar and invited me to step with him to a quiet retreat where he administered the soundest thrashing I had had that term without interruption.
Explanation, I knew, would be of no avail.

Tempest made a point of always postponing an explanation till after the deed was done.
When at length I gathered myself together, and inquired as pleasantly as I could to what special circumstances I was indebted for this painful incident, he replied-- "For being an idiot and a sneak.

Get away, or I'll kick you." Brown, whom I presently encountered, put the matter rather more precisely.
"Well," said he, "you told about as much as you could.

How sorry you must have been not to tell more!" "Don't, Dicky;" said I; "I--I--" "You're almost as big an ass as you look," said Dicky, "and that's saying something.

Come and see my experiment." I was not in a scientific mood, but anything was welcome to change the subject.