“Then, to begin with, you, Master Burr, stand up before me, and hit me hard in the chest.”
“But it will hurt you,” I said.
“You do as I tell you. Hit me in the chest as hard as you can.”
I stood up in front of him, and punched him with the soft glove just below his chin.
“Do you call that hard? Try again.”
I struck him again.
“Better,” he said; “but it wouldn’t have killed a blue-bottle. Now you, Master Mercer.”
“I’ll hit you hard, then, if you will not mind.”
“Tchah! just as if you could hurt me! Go on.”