“Oh, I didn’t say that. Come on.”
We went up to where Mr Rebble was standing, and found that Mr Hasnip was there too.
As we went in, Mr Hasnip came close to my side. “Nice object you look for a gentleman’s son, sir! Going to be a soldier, eh?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Then keep your fighting for the enemy, not for your schoolfellows.” Then in a lower voice—“Gave him a thorough good thrashing, didn’t you?” he said.
“Yes, sir: I suppose so.”
“Humph! serve him right. He wanted his comb cut. Getting insufferable with his conceit!—By the way, you needn’t tell any of your schoolfellows I said that, for, of course, you had no business to fight.”
“I didn’t want to, sir, but Burr major made us fight. He sent a lot of the boys to bring us into the loft, ‘to take the conceit out of us,’ he said.”
“And you took the conceit out of him instead, eh? Well, I daresay he wishes he had not sent for you now.”
“I’m afraid he does.”