Tenny, the head, did not dare disobey, although he had promised with the others not to read the extra portion, and even had not studied it. He, however, trusting in his natural ability, thought he could weather through. He began, but stumbled lamentably until Mr. Sherwood, incensed, gave his lines to the next, who made as bad a failure of them; and so it continued until Ande was again reached. Mr. Sherwood compressed his lips.
"Well, Trembath, we'll try you again."
Ande arose and scanned and translated in a truly commendable manner.
"Master Trembath, you have done credit to those lines," said Mr. Sherwood, well pleased. "You have saved the credit of the form; you may take your place at the head of the fifth."
The lads above were furious with jealousy, and burly Dick vowed threats of vengeance for his thirty lines.
The meeting was not long in appearing. Ande was on the Bowling Green that same evening, when Dick and a crowd of the fifth met him. The stupid and the bright had clasped hands against him; the bright ones out of jealousy, the dull ones out of revenge.
"Here's the red 'eaded Deane," said Dick, insultingly.
"I would just as soon be a descendant of the red-headed Danes, as an offspring of the Lizard[6] barbarians, who, if history is correct, didn't know enough to walk upright, but travelled on all fours like a donkey," said Ande, coolly surveying the crowd.
[6] Lizard Barbarians.—An old legend of the Lizard Point states that its inhabitants were so ignorant in olden times that they walked on hands and knees until some shipwrecked sailors taught them the art of standing.
Dick was in a fury of rage. The legend had been frequently poked at him and it always reached a sore part.