'
'I should think not!' exclaimed Fulbert, with angry eyes. 'All he
ever did was to warn us against going. More fools not to mind him!'
'Then,' said my Lady, 'it has been the insubordination and wilfulness
of you younger boys that has nearly involved him in so grave an
imputation.'
'Of nobody's but mine,' returned Fulbert. 'The others would have
nothing to do with it.'
'That cannot be the literal fact,' said Mr. Smith, in a low voice, to
Lady Price. 'There were certainly two of them.'
Fulbert heard, and turning to the Rector, as if he thought every one
else beneath his notice, said, 'The long and short of it is this:
Lance and I picked young Collis out of a ditch, and took him home.
Then Captain Collis asked us rabbit-shooting. Lance never went again,
because Felix did not choose it. I did; and, just by way of a joke, I
took Clement there without his knowing what place it was. We fell in
with them skating, and went into the house, the day before yesterday.
That is,' said Fulbert, concluding as he had begun, 'the long and
short of it. Whatever happened was my fault, and no one else's.'
'A very honest confession!' said kind Mr.
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