"And allowed him to keep on striking me?"

"You must have said something to provoke him," continued the
superintendent, finding it a little difficult to answer this question,
"or he would not have done it."

"If you will allow me," said Robert, "I will give you an account of the
whole affair."

"Go on," said the superintendent, rather unwillingly, for he strongly
suspected that our hero would be able to justify himself, and so render
dismissal more difficult.

"Halbert took offense because I accompanied Hester Paine home from the
writing school, evening before last, though I did with the young lady's
permission, as he knew. He met me yesterday at twelve o'clock, as I was
going home to dinner, and undertook to lecture me on my presumption in
offering my escort to one so much above me. He also taunted me with
being a factory boy. I told him to keep his advice to himself, as I
should not ask his permission when I wanted to walk, with Hester Paine.
Then he became enraged, and struck me with his cane. I took it from him
and returned the blow, breaking the cane in doing it."

"Ahem!" said the superintendent, clearing his throat; "you must have
been very violent."

"I don't think I was, sir. I struck him a smart blow, but the cane was
very light and easily broken."

"You were certainly very violent," continued Mr. Davis, resolved to make