The usual time had elapsed for these unpleasant visitations,
and Echo was chuckling finely at his dexterity in evading the eye of
authority, nor was I a little pleased to have escaped myself, when
a single rap at the oak, not unlike the hard determined thump of an
inflexible dun, in one moment revived all our worst apprehensions, and,
unfortunately, with too much reason for the alarm. The proctors had
marked poor Tom, and traced him out, and this visit was from one of
their bull-dogs, bringing a summons for Echo to attend before the
vice-chancellor and dignitaries. "What's to be done, old fellow?" said
Echo; "I shall be ~272~~expelled to a certainty--and, if I don't strike
my own name off the books at the buttery hatch, shall be prevented
making a retreat to Cam roads.--You're out of the scrape, that's clear,
and that affords me some hope; for as you are fresh, your word will pass
for something in extenuation, or arrest of judgment." After some little
time spent in anticipating the charges likely to be brought against him,
and arranging the best mode of defence, it was agreed that Echo should
proceed forthwith to _Golgotha_, and there, with undaunted front, meet
his accusers; while I was to proceed to Transit and Lionise, and having
instructed them in the story we had planned, meet him at the _place of
skulls_, fully prepared to establish, by the most incontrovertible
and consistent evidence, that we were not the aggressors in the row.
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