"Mr. who?" demanded the professor, instantly rising and his face flushing again with anger.
CHAPTER XIX
A RARE INTERVIEW
Instantly Will Phelps was overwhelmed with confusion. His face flushed crimson and his knees shook under the excitement which quickly seized upon him. The opprobrious title by which the Greek professor was known among the students and by which he was commonly spoken of by them had slipped from his tongue almost unconsciously. He stood staring stupidly into the professor's face, while visions of expulsion and future difficulty flashed into his troubled mind.
"I beg your pardon, professor," he managed to ejaculate at last. "I did not mean to say that. The word slipped out before I knew it. I am very sorry for it, for I certainly did not intend to be disrespectful in any way."
"You insulted me!" exclaimed the professor in a rage that under other circumstances would have seemed almost ludicrous to Will. It was like the anger of an infuriated canary bird or of some little child.
"Then I want to apologize," said Will quietly. "As I said, I certainly did not intend to do anything of the kind."
"But you did," persisted the outraged teacher. "You most assuredly did."