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‘He did,’ said Steerforth.
‘And pray, what did you mean by that, sir?’ demanded Mr.
Creakle, turning angrily on his assistant.
‘I meant, Mr. Creakle,’ he returned in a low voice, ‘as I
said; that no pupil had a right to avail himself of his posi-
tion of favouritism to degrade me.’
‘To degrade YOU?’ said Mr. Creakle. ‘My stars! But give
me leave to ask you, Mr. What’s-your-name’; and here Mr.
Creakle folded his arms, cane and all, upon his chest, and
made such a knot of his brows that his little eyes were hardly
visible below them; ‘whether, when you talk about favou-
rites, you showed proper respect to me? To me, sir,’ said Mr.
Creakle, darting his head at him suddenly, and drawing it
back again, ‘the principal of this establishment, and your
employer.’
‘It was not judicious, sir, I am willing to admit,’ said Mr.
Mell. ‘I should not have done so, if I had been cool.’
Here Steerforth struck in.
‘Then he said I was mean, and then he said I was base,
and then I called him a beggar. If I had been cool, perhaps
I shouldn’t have called him a beggar. But I did, and I am
ready to take the consequences of it.’
Without considering, perhaps, whether there were any
consequences to be taken, I felt quite in a glow at this gal-
lant speech. It made an impression on the boys too, for there
was a low stir among them, though no one spoke a word.
‘I am surprised, Steerforth - although your candour does
you honour,’ said Mr. Creakle, ‘does you honour, certainly
- I am surprised, Steerforth, I must say, that you should at-
