Now, my dears, we will resume our walk." The doctor turned upon his heels, and went off with his ladies talking in a loud voice about botany, the words _Ranunculaceae_ and _Caryophyllaceae_ being plainly heard as he stopped and picked a yellow blossom and a tuft of weed, the young ladies glancing back twice at the boys who had been guilty of so disgraceful a breach of scholastic etiquette as to have their fight take place upon an open common and let it be seen.
Nic stood arranging his jacket and torn-off collar, looking down rather dismally at Green, and wishing that he had not hit him quite so hard; for his adversary was seated upon the grass where there was no furze, embracing his knees and resting his brow upon them, softly swaying his head from side to side.
Tomlins was the first to speak, for the others were looking after the doctor, and were--especially the two seconds--wondering what the doctor would say when he came back, and how severe their punishment would be.
The fight had done the little dark-eyed fellow good.

It was like so much liniment rubbed into his bruise to see the brutal tyrant of the school well thrashed; and feeling that with such a protector as Nic he had no more to fear from Green, he was not above giving expression to his thoughts.
"Never you mind, Nic Braydon," he said.

"I shall speak out when the doctor has us up.

It wasn't your fault, but bully Gooseberry Green's.
He began it, knocking me about, kicking me--a brute.

I shall tell the doctor everything just as it happened." At this Green raised his face to dart a vindictive, threatening look at the little fellow, but he had not paused to think about the state of his face, which was comic in the extreme, and instead of alarming Tomlins made him forget his lameness more and more, and sent him into a fit of laughter.
"Here, boys, look at Gooseberry's phiz.