"Only--" "Only what ?" asked Riddell, after a pause.
"Only somehow I never think of it at the time." "I know," said Riddell, kindly.
"Why only this afternoon," said Wyndham, drawn out by the sympathy of his companion, "I tried to object to going down to the town, and they made up some excuse, so that I would have seemed like a regular prig to hold out, and so I went.

I'm awfully sorry now.

I know I'm a coward, Riddell; I ought to have stuck out." "I think you ought," said Riddell; "they would probably have laughed at you, and possibly tried to bully you a bit.

But you can take care of yourself, I fancy, when it comes to that, eh ?" "I can about the bullying," said Wyndham.
"And so," said Riddell, "you really advise me to say to this fellow I was telling you about, to stand up for himself and not let himself be led about by any one ?" "Except you, Riddell," said the boy.
"No," said Riddell, "not even me.

_I_ can't profess to tell you all you ought to do." "I should like to know who can, if you can't ?" said Wyndham.
"I think we both know," said Riddell, gravely.
The conversation ended here.