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
a point of this. "Halbert did not break the cane when he struck you."
"He struck the first blow."
"That does not alter the question of the amount of violence, which was
evidently without justification. You must have been in a great passion."
"I don't think I was in any greater passion than Halbert."
"In view of the violence you made use of, I consider that you owe my son
an apology."
"An apology!" repeated Robert, whose astonishment was apparent in his
tone.
"I believe I spoke plainly," said the superintendent, irritably.
"If any apology is to be made," said our hero, firmly, "it ought to come
from Halbert to me."
"How do you make that out?"
"He gave me some impertinent advice, and, because I did not care to take
it, he struck me."
"And you seized his cane in a fury, and broke it in returning the blow.
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