Page:Cuthbert Bede--Little Mr Bouncer and Tales of College Life.djvu/108

88 So, while the little gentleman smoked and smilingly looked on, Mr. Smirke sat down and wrote a letter of abject apology to his foe of the previous night. It was not a very easy letter to compose; but, by the aid of sundry hints from Mr. Bouncer's fertile imagination, it at last got itself written; and Mr. Bouncer hurried away with it to Effingham's rooms.

There, very shortly after, Effingham himself arrived, with a like letter of apology from Mr. Bulpit, with whom he had enacted a scene at St. Mary's Hall very similar to that which was being simultaneously performed, at Balliol College, with Messrs. Bouncer and Smirke for the dramatis personæ. It was agreed that the ends of justice could not be properly satisfied unless the two would-be combatants gave a breakfast at the Mitre to all who had witnessed their quarrel on the preceding evening; or, at any rate, to as many of them as would be able to accept the hasty invitation, and who would not be leaving Oxford till a later hour. This arrangement was heartily acceded to by Mr. Bulpit and Mr. Smirke, who greatly preferred the "breakfast to follow" instead of "the pistols for two."

As they were up and dressed, they at once sent out their invitations, and then went to the Mitre, where they shook hands, mutually apologised, and ordered the best