“Av ye can do thot——” he began; then he stopped short, showing suspicion. “Pwhy should ye be afther doin’ such a thing?” he asked. “Is it not a studint ye said ye wur?”
“Yes; but I might tell you what you want to know, just the same.”
“Divil a bit ye will! Thim studints shtick by ache ither too well fer anything loike thot. It’s foolin’ me ye’re troying to do.”
“You are hasty in your conclusions, sir,” said Frank, calmly. “I know that, as a rule, students stand by each other; but there are exceptions to every rule. Now it is possible that, for some very good reason, I may wish to divulge to you the name of the fellow who laid you up. It is possible that he is an enemy of mine, and I am taking this means to hurt him.”
“Is thot it?” said O’Farrel, slowly, again keenly scrutinizing Frank’s face. “Oi’ll confiss Oi didn’t take ye fer thot sort av a chap at all, at all.”
“You can’t always tell what a man will do by the looks of his face,” laughed Frank, flushing.
“An’ ye want to blow on another studint?”
“Well, I saw a part of your encounter with the students, and I know who it was that did you up. If you are going to make it hot for him, it is possible that I will tell what I know.”
“Oh, Oi’ll make it hot fer th’ spalpane! An Oi’ll make it hot fer th’ rist av th’ gang! They intherfered wid an officer in th’ discharge av his duty, an’ a sorry piece av business it will be fer thim!”
“How long will you be laid up, do you know?”