"Suppose I don't choose to do them?" asked Poodles, doubtfully.
"Then we shall take it for granted that you did not do them, as you declared on your paper."
"You can take it for granted, then, if you like," answered Poodles, as he dropped the chalk.
"You refuse to perform the examples—do you?" demanded Vallington, sternly.
"Yes, I do."
"Then you may take the consequences. Either you shall be expelled from the Institute, or at least fifty of us will petition our parents to take us from this school. We have done with you."
Bill Poodles smiled, and was pleased to get off so easily; but I noticed that Dick Pearl turned pale, and looked very much troubled. He was a relative of Mr. Parasyte, and it was generally understood that he was a free scholar, his parents being too poor to pay his board and tuition. While he expected to be ducked in the lake, or subjected to some personal indignity, after the manner in which boys usually treat such cases, his courage was good. Now, it appeared that the boys simply intended to have Poodles expelled, or to ask their parents and guardians to remove them; and as most of the students were from fourteen to eighteen years of age, they would probably have influence enough to effect their design.
"Pearl," said the judge, while the other culprit was apparently still attempting to figure out the result of the trial.
"I'm here," replied Pearl.
"We are entirely satisfied that Poodles had some assistance in performing his examples. It is believed that you gave him that assistance. If you did, own up."