'Oh, Mr. Sponge!' exclaimed Jack, clasping his raised hands in thankfulness, 'I'm so glad you're here!—I'm so thankful you're come! I've been insulted!—oh, goodness, how I've been insulted!' added he, throwing himself back in the bed, as if thoroughly overcome with his feelings.
'Well, but what's the matter?—what is it all about?' asked Sponge coolly, having a pretty good guess what it was.
'Never was so insulted in my life!' ejaculated Jack, from under the bedclothes.
'Well but what is it?' repeated Sponge, appealing to Pacey, who stood as pale as ashes.
'Oh! nothing,' replied he; 'quite a mistake; Mr. Spraggon misunderstood me altogether.'
'Mistake! There's no mistake in the matter!' exclaimed Jack, appearing again on the surface like an otter; 'you gave me the lie as plain as a pikestaff.'
'Indeed!' observed Mr. Sponge, drawing in his breath and raising his eyebrows right up into the roof of his head. 'Indeed!' repeated he.
'No; nothing of the sort, I assure you,' asserted Mr. Pacey.
'Must have satisfaction!' exclaimed Jack, again diving under the bedclothes.