“Cherry, what is the matter?”
Cherry could not speak for a moment; and Jack, much frightened, exclaimed,—
“What have you been doing? Let me call Alvar.”
Cheriton caught his arm as he turned away; and, after a few moments, as he began to get his breath,—
“Don’t be frightened. I walked too fast up hill.”
“How could you be so foolish?”
“Jack, I suppose I must tell you; indeed, I want to find out the rights of it; and I can ask no questions,” he added, with a sudden hurry in his accent.
“What do you mean? What has happened?”
The instinct of not irritating Jack enabled Cheriton to control his own indignation, and he said very quietly,—
“When I went up to the stable I found Alvar giving little Chris Fleming a tremendous licking. He was very much vexed with me for—I suppose for trying to interpose; but there were so many people about that we could not discuss it there. I wish you would go and ask old Bill what Chris had been doing, then come and tell me. Don’t say anything to Alvar about it.”