"There you are, at it again, you two, just like a couple of bargees! You ought to be ashamed of yourselves! Look how you've shocked the young 'un there! You really shouldn't!" I coloured up at this speech.

From the bantering tone in which Doubleday spoke it seemed as if he half despised any one who was not used to the sound of profanity; and I began to be angry with myself for having looked so horrified.
The quarrel was soon made up with the help of some of the twopenny cigars, which were now produced along with the beer-bottles.

By this time I had been sufficiently impressed by my company not to decline anything, and I partook of both of these luxuries--that is, I made believe to smoke a cigar, and kept a glass of beer in front of me, from which I took a very occasional sip.
My mind was thoroughly uncomfortable.

I had known all along I was not a hero; but it had never occurred to me before that I was a coward.

In the course of one short evening I had forsaken more than one old principle, merely because others did the same.