Hullo, old party," cried he to a stout old lady who was approaching, and innocently proposing to pass us; "extremely sorry--no thoroughfare this way, is there, Wallop?
Must trouble you to go along by the roofs of the houses.
Now, now, don't flourish your umbrella at me, or I shall call the police.

My mother says I'm not to be worrited, doesn't she, Crow ?" "You ought to be ashamed of yourselves, a set of young fellows like you," said the old lady, with great and very natural indignation, "insulting respectable people.

I suppose you call yourselves gentlemen.
I'm ashamed of you, that I am!" "Oh, don't apologise," said Whipcord; "it's of no consequence." "There's one of you," said the old lady, looking at me, "that looks as if he ought to know better.

A nice man you're making of him among you!" I blushed, half with shame, half with bashfulness, to be thus singled out, but considering it my duty to be as great a blackguard as my companions, I joined in the chorus of ridicule and insult in a manner which effectually disabused the poor lady of her suspicion that I was any better than the others.
In the end she was forced to go out into the road to let us pass, and we rollicked on rejoicing, as if we had achieved a great victory, and speculating as to who next would be our victim.
I mention this incident to show in what frame of mind the troubles of the day had left me.

At any other time the idea of insulting a lady would have horrified me.