“No,” he answered gloomily.  “No, I didn’t, but——­” He was interrupted by a violent crash of china and metal in the kitchen, a shriek from Della, and the outrageous voice of Penrod.  The well-informed Della, ill-inspired to set up for a wit, had ventured to address the scion of the house roguishly as “little gentleman,” and Penrod, by means of the rapid elevation of his right foot, had removed from her supporting hands a laden tray.  Both parents, started for the kitchen, Mr. Schofield completing his interrupted sentence on the way.

“But I will, now!”

The rite thus promised was hastily but accurately performed in that apartment most distant from the front porch; and, twenty minutes later, Penrod descended to dinner.  The Rev. Mr. Kinosling had asked for the pleasure of meeting him, and it had been decided that the only course possible was to cover up the scandal for the present, and to offer an undisturbed and smiling family surface to the gaze of the visitor.

Scorched but not bowed, the smouldering Penrod was led forward for the social formulae simultaneously with the somewhat bleak departure of Robert Williams, who took his guitar with him, this time, and went in forlorn unconsciousness of the powerful forces already set in secret motion to be his allies.

The punishment just undergone had but made the haughty and unyielding soul of Penrod more stalwart in revolt; he was unconquered.  Every time the one intolerable insult had been offered him, his resentment had become the hotter, his vengeance the more instant and furious.  And, still burning with outrage, but upheld by the conviction of right, he was determined to continue to the last drop of his blood the defense of his honour, whenever it should be assailed, no matter how mighty or august the powers that attacked it.  In all ways, he was a very sore boy.

During the brief ceremony of presentation, his usually inscrutable countenance wore an expression interpreted by his father as one of insane obstinacy, while Mrs. Schofield found it an incentive to inward prayer.  The fine graciousness of Mr. Kinosling, however, was unimpaired by the glare of virulent suspicion given him by this little brother:  Mr. Kinosling mistook it for a natural curiosity concerning one who might possibly become, in time, a member of the family.  He patted Penrod upon the head, which was, for many reasons, in no condition to be patted with any pleasure to the patter.  Penrod felt himself in the presence of a new enemy.

“How do you do, my little lad,” said Mr. Kinosling.  “I trust we shall become fast friends.”

To the ear of his little lad, it seemed he said, “A trost we shall bick-home fawst frainds.”  Mr. Kinosling’s pronunciation was, in fact, slightly precious; and, the little lad, simply mistaking it for some cryptic form of mockery of himself, assumed a manner and expression which argued so ill for the proposed friendship that Mrs. Schofield hastily interposed the suggestion of dinner, and the small procession went in to the dining-room.