something which he tried to throw
away but which refused to be cast off, they burst into a simultaneous
roar of laughter, which increased as they saw the angry lad suck his
finger, and wipe it impatiently on his handkerchief.

"Don't you give me any of your filthy stuff again, you. Macey," he
cried.

"All right," said the culprit, wiping the tears out of his eyes, and
taking the tin box from his pocket. "Have a bit more?"

Distin struck the tin box up furiously, sending it flying open, as it
performed an arc in the air, and distributing fragments of the
hard-baked saccharine sweet.

"Oh, I say!" cried Macey, hastily stooping to gather up the pieces.
"Here, help, Gil, or we shall have Syme in to find out one of them by
sitting on it."

"Look here, sir," cried Distin, across the table to Vane, who sat, as
last comer, between him and the door, "I said did you mean that as an
insult?"

"Oh, rubbish!" replied Vane, a little warmly now; "don't talk in that
manner, as if you were somebody very big, and going to fight a duel."

"I asked you, sir, if you meant that remark as an insult," cried Distin,
"and you evade answering, in the meanest and most shuffling way. I was
under the impression when I came down to Greythorpe it was to read with
English gentlemen, and I find--"

"Never mind what you find," said Vane; "I'll tell you what you do."

"Oh, you will condescend to tell me that," sneered Distin. "Pray what
do I do?"

"Don't tell him, Lee," said Gilmore; "and stop it, both of you. Mr
Syme will be here directly, and we don't want him to hear us squabbling
over such a piece of idiotic nonsense."

"And you call my resenting an insult of the most grave nature a piece of
idiocy, do you, Mr Gilmore?"

"No, Mr Distin; but I call the beginning of this silly row a piece of
idiocy."

"Of course you fellows will hang together," said Distin, with a
contemptuous look. "I might have known that you were not fit to trust
as a friend."

"Look here, Dis," said Gilmore, in a low, angry voice, "don't you talk
to me like that."

"And pray why, sir?" said Distin, in a tone full of contempt.

"Because I'm not Vane, sir, and--"

"I say, old chaps, don't, please don't," cried Macey, earnestly. "Look
here; I've got a tip from home by this morning's post, and I'll be a
good feed to set all square. Come: that's enough." Then, imitating the
rector's thick, unctuous voice, "Hum--ha!--silence, gentlemen, if you
please."