For a moment Walden had been so taken aback by the suddenness of Leveson’s unexpected overthrow that he could scarcely realise what had happened,—­but presently when the Reverend ‘Putty’s’ cobby legs began to sprawl uneasily on the ground, and the Eeverend ‘Putty’ himself gave vent to sundry blasphemous oaths and curses, he grasped the full humour of the situation.  A broad smile lit up his face.

“That was a master-stroke, Adderley!” he said, and the smile deepened into sudden laughter—­“But how in the world did you come here?”

“I was here all the time,”—­said Adderley, still standing across Leveson’s prostrate form—­“Returning to the habits of primaeval monkey as I often do, I was seated in the boughs of that venerable chestnut-tree-and I heard all the argument.  I enjoyed it.  I was hoping to see the Church militant belabour the Church recusant.  It would have been so new—­so fresh!  But as the sacred blow failed, the secular one was bound to fall.  Don’t get up, my excellent sir!—­ don’t, I beseech of you!” This to Leveson, who was trying by means of the most awkward contortions to rise to a sitting posture—­“You will find it difficult—­among other misfortunes your knickers will burst, and there is no tailor close at hand.  Spare yourself,—­and us!”

“Oh give him a hand, Adderley!” said Walden, good-naturedly.  “Help him up!  He’s had his beating!”

“He hasn’t,”—­declared Julian, with a lachrymose air of intense regret—­“I wish he had!  He is less hurt than if he had fallen off his bicycle.  He is in no pain;—­would that he were!”

Here Leveson managed to partially lift himself on one side.  “Assault!” he stuttered—­“Assault—­common assault—–­”

“And battery,”—­said Julian—­“You can summons me, my dear sir—­if you feel so inclined!  I shall be happy to explain the whole incident in court—­and also to pay the five pounds penalty.  I only wish I could have got more for my money.  There’s such a lot of you!—­such a lot!” he repeated, musingly, “And I’ve only sailed round such a small portion of your vast fleshy continent!”

Walden controlled his laughter, and stooping, offered to assist Leveson to get up, but the indignant ‘Putty’ refused all aid, and setting his own two hands firmly against the ground, tried again to rise.

“Remove your legs, sir!” he shouted to Julian, who still stood across him in apparent abstraction—­“How dare you—­how dare you pin me down in this fashion?—­how dare—–­”

Here his voice died away choked by rage.

“You are witty without knowing it, my fat friend!” said Julian languidly—­“Legs, in slang parlance, are sometimes known as ’pins,’- -therefore, when you say I ‘pin’ you down, you use an expression which is, like the ‘mobled queen’ in Hamlet, good.  Be unpinned, good priest—­and remember that you must be prepared to say your prayers backwards, next time you slander a woman!”