"Don't give me the lie, sir; you are reeking with the fumes of an ale-house. Ugh! you putrescent miscreant! This is a case for the head. You will appear before him to-morrow. Such a disgrace! In what light will the public view this scandalous demoralisation? Outrageous, sir! This is the second offence to-night. I thought you were inebriated,--intoxicated--in short, what the vulgar tongue calls drunk, when you brought me a silly, drivelling tale of a misdemeanour of two honourable students, and now you make it evident by staggering around, sprawling, and destroying the peace and sobriety of the school!" "I--I--I am not drunk." "I call you all to witness the state of filthy inebriety of this fellow," said Sherwood, with cold dignity. "What do you say, sir?" said the tutor to Dick. "He smells horrid, sir," said that worthy. "Ah! You are all witnesses," said Sherwood, and then, turning to the dejected Creakle, "in with you to your study, and relieve honourable men from the abhorrent, filthy odours that assail decent olfactory organs." Mr. Sherwood retired in dignified silence, and Creakle slunk into his study. "Dick, what is the moral?" said Ande, after they had reëntered their study. "The revenge of diabolical Ajax?" "No, the moral is this: the man who takes delight in spying on others and revelling in their disgrace, even though he be a monitor, shall be beaten with his own stick." CHAPTER XIX CREAKLE'S REVENGE "It's true; I heard it myself when I was over that way this last week," said Creakle, nodding his head affirmatively. "Who was it told you?" said Tenny. "A fellow called Sloan, a big, honest sort of a fellow in the employ of the Lanyans. He's a sort of an understrapper to young Master Richard, who will be graduated soon from Eton College." "What did he say?" "That Trembath's father was a traitor to the government; that he turned traitor in the late war with America, leastways he has not shown his face hereabouts since the war. Some think he is dead, and others think he was a traitor, and daren't show his face in England, but is living in exile somewhere in America. Sloan--I think his first name is Bob--told me himself that Richard and his father, Sir James, both believe that he was a traitor." "No proofs but their thoughts," said Tenny, doubtfully. "Well, it is the current belief of the whole neighbourhood, and then, there is strong proof of his grandfather being a traitor. There is no doubt about that at all. Bob told me that it was through the patriotism of Richard's grandfather that the matter was called to the attention of Newcastle, and Trembath Manor was confiscated." "How? What was the treason?"