Here we found the assembled company in a state of great excitement.

Mr Horncastle, who occupied a bed in the next dormitory to that where Jack and I slept, had missed his collar-stud, which he described as "red coral," and complaining thereof to Mrs Nash, had been told by that lady that Smith and Batchelor had brought a young pickpocket into the house with them last night, and that being so, she was only surprised Mr Horncastle had not lost all the jewellery he possessed.

Whereat, of course, Mr Horncastle was in a mighty state of wrath, and quite ready for poor Jack and me when we appeared.
"Oh, here you are.

Perhaps you'll hand me out half a sov., you two." "What for ?" demanded I.
"Never you mind, but you'd better look sharp, or I'll give you in charge!" said Horncastle, pompously.
"You're funny this morning," said I, utterly at a loss to guess what he was driving at.
"So will you be funny when you get transported for stealing!" "What do you mean ?" asked Smith, solemnly.
"Mean; why, I mean my collar-stud." A general laugh interrupted the speaker at this point, which did not tend to improve his spirits.
"What's your collar-stud to do with me, or Batchelor ?" demanded Smith, who evidently saw nothing to laugh at.
"Why, you've stolen it!" shouted Horncastle.
Smith gazed solemnly at the speaker.
"You're a fool," he said, quietly.
This cool remark drove the irate Horncastle nearly frantic.

He advanced up to Smith with a face as red as the collar-stud he had lost, and cried, "Say that again, and I'll knock you down." "You're a fool," quietly repeated Jack.
Horncastle didn't knock him down, or attempt to do so.