the incident of the preceding day, which led to the assault; for,
seeing Oscar's unwillingness to have anything said about it, he had not
mentioned the matter to any one at home. Ralph was a generous-hearted
boy, and in this case was actuated by a regard for Oscar's feelings,
rather than by fear.

Oscar did not come home that night until after dark. As he entered the
sitting-room, Alice, who was seated at the piano-forte, broke short off
the piece she was playing, and said, looking at him as sternly as she
could,

"You great ugly boy!"

"Why, what's the matter now?" inquired Oscar, who hardly knew whether
this rough salutation was designed to be in fun or in earnest; "don't I
look as well as usual?"

"You looked well beating little Willie Davenport, don't you think you
did?" continued his sister, with the same stern look. "I 'm perfectly
ashamed of you--I declare, I did n't know you could do such a mean
thing as that."

"I don't care," replied Oscar, "I 'll lick him again, if he does n't
mind his own business."

As Oscar did not know that George witnessed the assault, he was at a
loss to know how Alice heard of it. She refused to tell him, and he
finally concluded that Whistler or his mother must have called there,
to enter a complaint against him. Pretty soon Mrs. Preston entered the
room, and sat down, to await the arrival of Oscar's father to tea. She