A
little persuasion was necessary to convince both our friends that their
presence would be essential to Echo's acquittal; they had too many just
qualms, and fears, and prejudices of this inquisitorial court not to
dread perhaps detection, and a severe reprimand themselves: having,
however, succeeded in this point, we all three compared notes, and
proceeded to where the vice-chancellor and certain heads of houses sat
in solemn judgment on the trembling _togati_. Echo was already under
examination; one of the _bull-dogs_ had sworn particularly to Tom's
being a most active leader in the fray of the previous night; and
having, in the contest, suffered a complete disorganization of his lower
jaw, with the total loss of sundry of his _front rails_, he took this
opportunity of affixing the honour of the deed to my unlucky friend,
expecting, no doubt, a very handsome recompense would be awarded him by
the court. Expostulation was in vain: Transit, Lionise, and myself were
successively called in and examined very minutely, and although we all
agreed to a letter in our story, and made a very clever ~273~~defence of
the culprit, we yet had the mortification to hear from little Dodd,
who kept the door, and who is always best pleased when he can convey
unpleasant tidings to the Gown, that Echo had received sentence of
rustication for the remainder of the term; and that Eglantine, in
consideration of the imprisonment he had already undergone, and some
favourable circumstances in his case, was let off with a fine and
imposition.
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