s much
appreciated as it deserved. Tipping, indeed, looked baffled and
irresolute for one moment, but a low murmur of disgust arose from the
bystanders, and even Jolland declared that it was "too beastly mean."

As for Dulcie, she had been looking on incredulously at her champion's
unaccountable tardiness in coming to the point. But this public
repudiation was too much for her. She gave a little low wail as she
heard the shameless words of recantation, and then, without a word,
jumped lightly down from her bench and ran away to hide herself
somewhere and cry.

Even Paul, though he knew that he had done nothing but what was strictly
right, and had acted purely in self-protection, felt unaccountably
ashamed of himself as he saw this effect of his speech. But it was too
late now.

10. _The Complete Letter-Writer_

"Accelerated by ignominious shovings--nay, as it is written, by
smitings, twitchings, spurnings _a posteriori_ not to be
named." --_French Revolution._

"This letter being so excellently ignorant will breed no terror in
the youth."--_Twelfth Night._

Mr. Bultitude had meant to achieve a double stroke of diplomacy--to
undeceive Dulcie and conciliate the lovesick Tipping. But whatever his
success may have been in the former respect, the latter object failed
conspicuously.

"You shan't get off by a shabby trick like that," said Tipping,
exasperated by the sight of Dulcie's emotion; "you've made her cry now,
and you shall smart for it. So, now, are you going to stand up to me
like a man, or will you take a licking?"

"I'm not going to help you to commit a breach of the peace," said Paul
with great dignity. "Go away, you quarrelsome young ruffian! Get one of
your schoolfellows to fight you, if you must fight. I don't want to be
mixed up with you in any way."

But at this Tipping, whose blood was evidently at boiling point, came
prancing down on him in a Zulu-like fashion, swinging his long arms like
a windmill, and finding that his enemy made no attempt at receiving him,
but only moved away apprehensively, he seized him by the collar as a
prelude to dealing him a series of kicks behind.

Although Mr. Bultitude, as we have seen, was opposed to fighting as a
system he could not submit to this sort of thing without at least some
attempt to defend himself; and judging it of the highest importance to
disable his adversary in the most effectua