The Big Man waited until the two had passed into the night, and then, with a sudden resolve, went bravely to the doorbell and rang. Before he quite appreciated the audacity of his act, he found himself in the sanctum facing a much-perplexed head master.
"Doctor, I—I——" The Big Man stopped, overwhelmed by the awful majesty of the Doctor, on whose face still sat the grimness of the past conference.
"Well, Joshua, what's the matter?" said the head master, relaxing a bit before one of his favorites.
"Please, sir, I'm a little—a little embarrassed, I'm afraid," said the Great Big Man, desperately.
"Am I so terrible as all that?" said the Doctor, smiling.
"Yes, sir—you are," the Big Man replied frankly. Then he said, plunging in, "Doctor, is the Butcher—is Stevens—are you going to—expel him?"
"That is my painful duty, Joshua," said the Doctor, frowning.
"Oh, Doctor," said the Big Man all in a breath, "you don't know—you're making a mistake."
"I am? Why, Joshua?"
"Because—you don't know. Because the Butcher won't tell you, he's too proud, sir; because he doesn't want to cry out, sir."