“And what did he say?”
“That if you wanted to see him, you could come to him.”
All the boys regarded each other with looks of surprise. Was it possible that any boy in Smith Institute could have the boldness to send such a message to Jim! Most of all, Jim was moved by such a bold defiance of his authority. For the moment, he could not think of any adequate terms in which to express his feelings.
“Did the new boy say that?” he asked, hoarsely.
“Yes, he did.”
Jim nodded his head vigorously two or three times.
“You fellows,” he said, appealing to the boys around him, “did you ever hear such impudence?”
“No!” “Never!” exclaimed the boys in concert, Bates being the loudest and most emphatic.
“I have never been so insulted since I was at the institute,” said Jim, again looking about him for a confirmation of his statement.
“It’s because he’s a new boy. He don’t understand,” suggested one.