"And they put up with that?" said Dick, with the first unpleasant
expression I had seen on his good-tempered face.

Said I, reddening: "We HAD to put up with it; we couldn't help it."

The old man looked at me keenly, and said: "You seem to know a great
deal about it, neighbour! And is it really true that nothing came of
it?"

"This came of it," said I, "that a good many people were sent to
prison because of it."

"What, of the bludgeoners?" said the old man. "Poor devils!"

"No, no," said I, "of the bludgeoned."

Said the old man rather severely: "Friend, I expect that you have
been reading some rotten collection of lies, and have been taken in
by it too easily."

"I assure you," said I, "what I have been saying is true."

"Well, well, I am sure you think so, neighbour," said the old man,
"but I don't see why you should be so cocksure."

As I couldn't explain why, I held my tongue. Meanwhile Dick, who had
been sitting with knit brows, cogitating, spoke at last, and said
gently and rather sadly: