Before long, however, a huge grin began to illumine Dalzell's face.
"Wipe that grin off, mister!" commanded Mr.Quimby sternly.
"I--I simply can't!" gasped Dan, then began to roar with laughter.
"Why can't you ?" insisted Quimby.

"What's the matter?
"It's--it's your face!" choked Dan.
"My face ?" repeated Quimby, reddening "What do you mean, sir ?" "I--I--it would be a shame to tell you!" sputtered Dalzell between spasms of laughter.
Truth to tell, Midshipman Quimby did look funny when he attempted to be over-stern.

Quimby's face was one of his sensitive points, anyway.

Yet it was not, strictly speaking, the face, but the look of precocious authority on that face which had sent Dan, with his keen sense of humor, off into spasms of laughter.

But the youngster didn't propose to see the point.
"Mister," spoke Midshipman Quimby, with an added sternness of look that sent Dan off into another guffaw, "you have been guilty of insulting an upper class man.