and fur and shining dark things; they had walked up through the Warren,
while the horses took the hill easily, and so had come upon us. Beatrice
had gone to them at once with an air of taking refuge, and stood beside
and a little behind them. We both rose dejectedly. The two old ladies
were evidently quite dreadfully shocked, and peering at us with their
poor old eyes; and never had I seen such a tremblement in Lady Drew's
lorgnettes.

"You've never been fighting?" said Lady Drew.

"You have been fighting."

"It wasn't proper fighting," snapped Archie, with accusing eyes on me.

"It's Mrs. Ponderevo's George!" said Miss Somerville, so adding a
conviction for ingratitude to my evident sacrilege.

"How could he DARE?" cried Lady Drew, becoming very awful.

"He broke the rules" said Archie, sobbing for breath. "I slipped,
and--he hit me while I was down. He knelt on me."

"How could you DARE?" said Lady Drew.

I produced an experienced handkerchief rolled up into a tight ball, and
wiped the blood from my chin, but I offered no explanation of my daring.
Among other things that prevented that, I was too short of breath.

"He didn't fight fair," sobbed Archie.