Alas poor Teddy! He had held out long, and braved much. But his heart quailed now. He seemed glued to the wall, and the form all of a sudden seemed to contract into a tight-rope over a chasm.
“I’m so tired, sir, I—”
“Silence, sir! and do what you’re told,” thundered Jonah.
Teddy staggered forward half a step, but shrank back before he had finished it to the friendly wall.
Trimble rose from his seat.
“Do you hear me?” he shouted furiously. “Stand where I tell you.”
“Please, sir, I can’t. I—”
Here Trimble advanced towards him, and Teddy, fairly unnerved and almost fainting, slipped down from the bench and burst into tears.
“That’s it, is it?” said Jonah; “we’ll see whether you can or—”
At that instant the door opened, and Jeffreys entered the room.