"Rowdy brutes," he said, and pointed to the ceiling.
I tried to answer, but failed.
"I should think they will get kicked out in a minute," he continued. "Aren't you going to have any pickles?"
"The room's so horribly stuffy," I managed to say; "I vote we go when you are ready."
"We've only just come. I haven't nearly done yet, and I am going to have a smoke when I've finished."
I resigned myself to the situation and seized the pickles; there was only one left and that was an onion. The noise increased and a huge piece of bread fell on the lawn in front of our window.
"Bloods always throw bread at each other, don't they?" he asked.
"I don't suppose they are any worse than anybody else," I answered; "there is not much harm in a bread pellet."
"That thing out there is half a loaf," he returned, "and at any rate they make a fairly bad row," which were statements I could not deny.
We heard a man go heavily up-stairs and knock at the door. He was received with clamorous approval, but after a little conversation the noise ceased and there was a most refreshing calm. I had hopes that nothing more was going to happen, so I sat down by the fire and lit a cigarette. For ten minutes Fred and I were not interrupted, but I had already recognized the voices of Bunny Langham and Dennison, and I might have guessed that there was not likely to be much peace. Our windows were wide open, and presently I began to hear a kind of choked laughter going on at the window above. What was happening I did not know, but I suspected that some fresh game had begun and I wanted very much to know what it was. I did not, however, wish them to see me nor was I anxious for Fred to see them, so I suggested that we should start back to Oxford. Fred agreed to this, and getting up from his chair he walked out into the garden. No sooner was he on the lawn than I saw him jump like a hare and put his hand up to his neck. At the same moment the beanfeasters rushed out of their arbour and fairly went for him. While this happened I was standing at the window wondering how I could persuade him to come back into the room, but as soon as I saw these two aggressive-looking men, not to mention their ladies, talking to him in most bellicose language, I went out. One of them at once caught hold of me by the coat and spoke so fast and strangely that I did not altogether understand what he was saying. He mentioned the name of Susan a great many times, and when he had finished tugging at my coat I asked him if there was anything the matter with the lady.