"Yes; only fancy going to meet his friends in a hay-waggon! What a start! He! he! he!" "It's such impudence in a low fellow like that..." and here Kenrick lost some words, for, as they passed, Jones lowered his voice; but he heard, only too plainly, the words "father" and "dishonest parson"--the rest he could supply with fatal facility. For half an instant he stood paralysed, his eyes burning with fury, but his face pale as ashes. The next second he sprang upon Jones, seized with both hands the collar of his coat, shook him, flung him violently to the ground, and kicked his hat, which had fallen off in the struggle, straight into the river. "What the deuce do you mean by that?" asked Jones, picking himself up. "I'll just give you--fifth-form, or no fifth-form--the best licking you ever had." "You'll just not presume to lay upon him the tip of your finger," said Whalley, who was quite as big as Jones, and was very fond of Kenrick. "Not for flinging me down and kicking my hat into the water?" "No, Jones," said Whalley, quietly. "I don't know what you were talking about, but you clearly meant to insult him, from your manner." "What's the row? what's up?" said a number of boys, who began to throng round. "Only a plebeian splutter of rage from our well-bred friend there," said Mackworth, pointing contemptuously at Kenrick, who stood with dilated nostrils, still heaving with rage. "But what about?" "Heaven only knows _apropos_ of just nothing." "You're a liar," said Kenrick impetuously. "You know that you told lies and insulted me; and if you say it again, I'll do the same again." "Only try," said Jones, in a surly tone. "Insulted you?" said Mackworth in bland accents. "We were talking about a dishonest parson, as far as I remember. Pray, are you a dishonest parson?" "You'd better take care," said Kenrick with fierce energy. "Take care of what? We didn't ask _you_ to listen to our conversation; listeners hear no--" "Bosh!" interposed Whalley; "you know you were talking at the top of your voices, and we couldn't help hearing you." "And what then? Mayn't we talk as loud as we like?--I assure you, on my word of honour," he said, turning to the group around them, "we didn't even mention Kenrick's name. We were merely talking about a certain dishonest parson who rode in hay-carts, when the fellow sprang on Jones like a tiger-cat. I'm sure, if he's any objection to our talking of such unpleasant people we won't do so in his hearing," said Mackworth, in an excess of venomous politeness.