n.
The Roman emperors were not in it with him.

"Attention! Front!" said he at last, when the proceedings were becoming
dull even to him. "Stand at ease! Attention! Stand at ease!
Attention! Left turn! Dismiss! As you were! Dismiss!"

It was a prolonged insult, and we knew it. But Tempest stood it, and
so, consequently, did we. But as we filed from the place we felt that
Mr Jarman's turn would come some day.

Tempest, contrary to general expectation, evinced no haste to leave the
scene of his tribulation. There was yet a quarter of an hour to next
bell, and this he evidently decided to spend, as he had the right to do,
where he was. Mr Jarman was evidently annoyed to find, not only that
the senior was apparently unaffected by the humiliation through which he
had passed, but that now the drill was over he evinced an entire
unconcern in the master's presence.

Tempest was one of the best gymnasts in the school, and it was always
worth while to watch him on the trapeze and horizontal bar. So the
Philosophers and Urbans, by one consent, trooped back into the gymnasium
to look on, and (what must have been particularly annoying to the
master, because he had no authority to stop it) to cheer. How we did
cheer, and what good it did us! Had Tempest been the meanest of
performers, and done nothing but swing with his legs doubled up under
him from one ring to the next, we should have applauded. But to-day his
flights were terrific. No fellow was less given to show off, and he
probably objected to our applause as much as Mr Jarman. But he was
bound to relieve his feelings somehow, and the trapeze was just what he
wanted.

When finally the bell rang, and we were hoarse with cheering (which was
our way of relieving our feelings) he came to earth decidedly better for
his exercise.

Mr Jarman evidently was impressed, and, to our surprise, even ventured
on a compliment.

"You did that well, Tempest."

Tempest's reply was to walk away, putting on his coat as he went.

It was plain to see by the angry twitch of Mr Jarman's mouth that the
shaft of this public snub had gone home, and we who looked on and
witnessed it all had little need to tell ourselves that civil war had
already been declared.

It is hardly necessary to state that the extraordinary meeting of the
Conversation Club that evening was lively, and that there was no lack of
a topic. Besides our own contingent, a few of the outsiders, including
M