Dr.Spenser proceeded without heeding a deep flush on Hyacinth's face, which might have warned a wiser man that an explosion was coming.
'If I should then proceed to reason thus: All Nationalists are rebels and potential murderers--Mr.Conneally is a Nationalist; therefore Mr.
Conneally is a rebel and potential murderer--I should, assuming the truth of my minor premise, have arrived at a certainty.' The syllogism was greeted with loud applause.

Hyacinth started to his feet.

For a time he could only gasp for breath to utter a reply, and Dr.Spenser, secure in the conviction of his own intellectual and social superiority to the son of a parson from Connemara, determined to pursue his prey.
'Does Mr.Conneally,' he asked with a simper, 'propose to impugn the accuracy of my induction or the logic of my deduction ?' The simper and the number of beautiful long words which Dr.Spenser had succeeded in collecting together into one sentence provoked a sustained clapping of hands and stamping of feet from the class.

Hyacinth rapidly regained his self-possession, and was surprised at his own coolness when he replied: 'I should say, sir, that a man who makes an induction holding up a lady to ridicule is probably a cad, and that the cad who makes a deduction confusing patriotism with murder is certainly a fool.' A report of Hyacinth's speech was handed to Dr.Henry, with a suggestion that expulsion from the divinity school was the only suitable punishment.

Hyacinth did not look forward with any pleasure to the interview to which he was summoned.