"I intend to be fair, young gentlemen," continued Mr. Parasyte; "that is the whole study of my life. I am astonished and mortified at this unlooked-for demonstration. I was about to make a further statement in regard to Thornton, when you interrupted me. I told you that I purposed to give him an opportunity to redeem his character. I intend to do my duty on this painful occasion, though the walls of the Parkville Liberal Institute should crumble above my head, and crush me in the dust."
"Let her crumble!" said a reckless youth, as Mr. Parasyte waxed eloquent.
"Will you be silent, or will you compel me to resort to that which I abhor—to physical force?"
Some of the boys glanced at each other with a meaning smile when this remark was uttered; but I shook my head, to signify my disapprobation of anything like resistance or tumult.
"Thornton," added Mr. Parasyte, turning to me, "I have fairly and impartially heard your story, and carefully weighed all your statements. I have come to the conclusion, deliberately and without prejudice, that you were the aggressor."
"I was not, sir," I replied, as gently as I could speak, and yet as firmly.
"It appears that Poodles placed his hand upon your arm merely to attract your attention; whereupon you struck him a severe blow in the face, which caused him to reel and fall over backward into the lake," said Mr. Parasyte, so pompously that I could not tell whether he intended to "back out" of his position or not.
"Poodles hit me in the head, and was on the point of repeating the blow, when I knocked him over in self-defence."
"It does not appear to me that Poodles, who is a remarkably gentlemanly student, would have struck you for simply refusing to assist him about his examples. Such a course would not be consistent with the character of Poodles."
"No, sir, I did not strike him at any time," protested Poodles.