"Ye may say so, but I hold to it, whatever ye say. He’s ill-wished ’ee, that’s the truth, and a pity it is he ever showed his face here." Two evenings later, when Dick was struggling with a piece of Latin prose for Mr. Carlyon, there was a knock at the outer door, and Reuben admitted Penwarden, with Jake Tonkin firmly in his clutch. "Axe Squire if I can have speech with him, Reuby," he said. Mr. Trevanion came out into the hall. "Well, what’s this, Joe?" he asked. "I catched this young reptile a-meddlin’ wi’ Maister Dick’s lines, Squire," said Penwarden, "so I brought him up to be dealt with according to law." "Meddling with his lines, indeed!" cried the Squire in surprise. "Why should he do that? What have you to say for yourself, rascal?" Jake had nothing to say for himself, but stood with a sullen glower upon his face. "’Tis not the first time either, Squire, and I be mazed as you didn’ know it," Penwarden continued. "I knew nothing about it. Dick," he called into the room, "come here." Dick obeyed reluctantly. "Penwarden tells me," said his father, "that your lines have been tampered with. Is that true?" "Yes, sir." "How often?" "Three or four times within a week or so." "Why did you not tell me?" "I didn’t want to bother you, sir." "But this is new; it shows a hostile spirit——. Well, I’ll say no more now. As for you, you young scoundrel, I’m not a justice, or I’d commit you. You shall take your choice; a sound flogging, or haled before Sir Bevil: that will mean three months in Truro jail. Which is it to be?" "I don’t want to see Sir Bevil," said Jake, sullenly. "Strip off your coat, then. Reuben, bring my whip." Dick went away: he could not remain to see the lad thrashed. "Now, Reuben, half a dozen lashes," said the Squire when his man returned. "No; I’ll do it myself. Stoop!" Dick pressed his fingers into his ears when at the third or fourth stroke Jake began to howl. The Squire gave him full measure; then bade him begone, and take care not to offend again, declaring that he should not get off so easily next time. "Now, Dick," he said, returning to the room, "what is the meaning of all this?" Thereupon Dick made a clean breast of it, telling all that had happened since the rescue of Penwarden. The Squire’s face clouded as he listened to the story. "John Trevanion is at the bottom of this," he cried, thumping the table. "They would never believe I was against them unless their minds had been poisoned. I will see Tonkin to-morrow and get at the truth." Then, with one of the swift changes of mood characteristic of him, he added: "No, I won’t do it. I won’t gratify that cur; he shall never think I care a snap for him. Tell me if anything of the kind happens again, and I will myself go over to see Sir Bevil. On my life, the toad shall smart if he is proved to be stirring folk against me."