"I don't like your tone, sir."
"And I don't like your face, sir," retorted Jetson. "Nor your cheek, either, for that matter."
"I tried to treat you pleasantly," Dave went on, hurt and offended.
"Oh! It required an effort, did it?" sneered Jetson.
"Something may have happened that I don't know anything about," Darrin continued. "It may be that you have some real reason for treating me as you have just done. If you have any good reason I wish you'd tell me, for in that case I must have done something that put me in wrong. If that's the case, I want to make amends."
"Oh—bosh!" grumbled the other midshipman.
"Come on, now!" urged Dave. "Be a man!"
"Then you imply that I am not?" demanded Jetson aggressively.
"Not necessarily," Dave contended. "I just want to make sure, in my own mind, and I should think you'd be similarly interested."
"If you want to insult me, Mr. Darrin," flared back Jetson, "I'll remain here long enough to hear you and to arrange for resenting the insult. Otherwise—"