“That’sjustthepoint，“saidTom；“Idon’tobjecttoacompromise，whereyoudon’tgiveupyourprinciple。“
“Notyou，“saidEastlaughingly——“Iknowhimofold，Arthur，andyou’llfindhimoutsomeday。Thereisn’tsuchareasonablefellowintheworld，tohearhimtalk。Heneverwantsanythingbutwhat’srightandfair；onlywhenyoucometosettlewhat’srightandfair，it’severythingthathewants，andnothingthatyouwant。Andthat’shisideaofacompromise。GivemetheBrowncompromisewhenI’monhisside。“
“Now，Harry，“saidTom，“nomorechaff。I’mserious。Lookhere。Thisiswhatmakesmybloodtingle。“AndheturnedoverthepagesofhisBibleandread，“Shadrach，Meshach，andAbed-
negoansweredandsaidtotheking，ONebuchadnezzar，wearenotcarefultoanswertheeinthismatter。Ifitbeso，ourGodwhomweserveisabletodeliverusfromtheburningfieryfurnace，andhewilldeliverusoutofthinehand，Oking。Butifnot，beitknownuntothee，Oking，thatwewillnotservethygods，norworshipthegoldenimagewhichthouhastsetup。“
Hereadthelastversetwice，emphasizingthenots，anddwellingonthemasiftheygavehimactualpleasure，andwerehardtopartwith。
Theyweresilentaminute，andthenArthursaid，“Yes，that’sagloriousstory，butitdon’tproveyourpoint，Tom，Ithink。
Therearetimeswhenthereisonlyoneway，andthatthehighest，andthenthemenarefoundtostandinthebreach。“
“There’salwaysahighestway，andit’salwaystherightone，“
saidTom。“HowmanytimeshastheDoctortoldusthatinhissermonsinthelastyear，Ishouldliketoknow？“
“Well，youain’tgoingtoconvinceus——ishe，Arthur？NoBrowncompromiseto-night，“saidEast，lookingathiswatch。“Butit’spasteight，andwemustgotofirstlesson。Whatabore！“
Sotheytookdowntheirbooksandfelltowork；butArthurdidn’tforget，andthoughtlongandoftenovertheconversation。
“LetNaturebeyourteacher:
SweetisthelorewhichNaturebrings。
OurmeddlingintellectMisshapesthebeauteousformsofthings。
Wemurdertodissect。
EnoughofScienceandofArt:
Closeupthosebarrenleaves；
Comeforth，andbringwithyouaheartThatwatchesandreceives。“-WORDSWORTH。
Aboutsixweeksafterthebeginningofthehalf，asTomandArthurweresittingonenightbeforesupperbeginningtheirverses，Arthursuddenlystopped，andlookedup，andsaid，“Tom，doyouknowanythingofMartin？“
“Yes，“saidTom，takinghishandoutofhisbackhair，anddelightedtothrowhisGradusadParnassumontothesofa；“I
knowhimprettywell。He’saverygoodfellow，butasmadasahatter。He’scalledMadman，youknow。Andneverwassuchafellowforgettingallsortsofrumthingsabouthim。Hetamedtwosnakeslasthalf，andusedtocarrythemaboutinhispocket；andI’llbeboundhe’sgotsomehedgehogsandratsinhiscupboardnow，andnooneknowswhatbesides。“
“Ishouldlikeverymuchtoknowhim，“saidArthur；“hewasnexttomeintheformto-day，andhe’dlosthisbookandlookedovermine，andheseemedsokindandgentlethatIlikedhimverymuch。“
“Ah，pooroldMadman，he’salwayslosinghisbooks，“saidTom，“andgettingcalledupandflooredbecausehehasn’tgotthem。“
“Ilikehimallthebetter，“saidArthur。
“Well，he’sgreatfun，Icantellyou，“saidTom，throwinghimselfbackonthesofa，andchucklingattheremembrance。“Wehadsuchagamewithhimonedaylasthalf。Hehadbeenkickinguphorridstinksforsometimeinhisstudy，tillIsupposesomefellowtoldMary，andshetoldtheDoctor。Anyhow，onedayalittlebeforedinner，whenhecamedownfromthelibrary，theDoctor，insteadofgoinghome，camestridingintothehall。
EastandIandfiveorsixotherfellowswereatthefire，andpreciouslywestared，forhedon’tcomeinlikethatonceayear，unlessitisawetdayandthere’safightinthehall。
’East，’sayshe，’justcomeandshowmeMartin’sstudy。’’Oh，here’sagame，’whisperedtherestofus；andweallcutupstairsaftertheDoctor，Eastleading。AswegotintotheNewRow，whichwashardlywideenoughtoholdtheDoctorandhisgown，click，click，click，weheardintheoldMadman’sden。
Thenthatstoppedallofasudden，andtheboltswenttolikefun。TheMadmanknewEast’sstep，andthoughttherewasgoingtobeasiege。
“’It’stheDoctor，Martin。He’shereandwantstoseeyou，’
singsoutEast。
“Thentheboltswentbackslowly，andthedooropened，andtherewastheoldMadmanstanding，lookingpreciousscared——hisjacketoff，hisshirt-sleevesuptohiselbows，andhislongskinnyarmsallcoveredwithanchorsandarrowsandletters，tattooedinwithgunpowderlikeasailor-boy’s，andastinkfittoknockyoudowncomingout。’TwasalltheDoctorcoulddotostandhisground，andEastandI，whowerelookinginunderhisarms，heldournosestight。Theoldmagpiewasstandingonthewindow-sill，allhisfeathersdrooping，andlookingdisgustedandhalf-poisoned。
“’Whatcanyoubeabout，Martin？’saystheDoctor。’Youreallymustn’tgooninthisway；you’reanuisancetothewholepassage。’
“’Please，sir，Iwasonlymixingupthispowder；thereisn’tanyharminit。AndtheMadmanseizednervouslyonhispestleandmortar，toshowtheDoctortheharmlessnessofhispursuits，andwentonpounding——click，click，click。Hehadn’tgivensixclicksbefore，puff！upwentthewholeintoagreatblaze，awaywentthepestleandmortaracrossthestudy，andbackwetumbledintothepassage。Themagpiefluttereddownintothecourt，swearing，andtheMadmandancedout，howling，withhisfingersinhismouth。TheDoctorcaughtholdofhim，andcalledtoustofetchsomewater。’There，yousillyfellow，’saidhe，quitepleased，though，tofindhewasn’tmuchhurt，’youseeyoudon’tknowtheleastwhatyou’redoingwithallthesethings；andnow，mind，youmustgiveuppractisingchemistrybyyourself。’Thenhetookholdofhisarmandlookedatit，andIsawhehadtobitehislip，andhiseyestwinkled；buthesaid，quitegrave，’Here，yousee，you’vebeenmakingallthesefoolishmarksonyourself，whichyoucannevergetout，andyou’llbeverysorryforitinayearortwo。Nowcomedowntothehousekeeper’sroom，andletusseeifyouarehurt。’Andawaywentthetwo，andweallstayedandhadaregularturn-outoftheden，tillMartincamebackwithhishandbandagedandturnedusout。
However，I’llgoandseewhathe’safter，andtellhimtocomeinafterprayerstosupper。“AndawaywentTomtofindtheboyinquestion，whodweltinalittlestudybyhimself，inNewRow。
TheaforesaidMartin，whomArthurhadtakensuchafancyfor，wasoneofthoseunfortunateswhowereatthattimeofday(andare，Ifear，still)quiteoutoftheirplacesatapublicschool。Ifweknewhowtouseourboys，Martinwouldhavebeenseizeduponandeducatedasanaturalphilosopher。Hehadapassionforbirds，beasts，andinsects，andknewmoreofthemandtheirhabitsthananyoneinRugby——exceptperhapstheDoctor，whokneweverything。Hewasalsoanexperimentalchemistonasmallscale，andhadmadeuntohimselfanelectricmachine，fromwhichitwashisgreatestpleasureandglorytoadministersmallshockstoanysmallboyswhowererashenoughtoventureintohisstudy。Andthiswasbynomeansanadventurefreefromexcitement；forbesidestheprobabilityofasnakedroppingontoyourheadortwininglovinglyupyourleg，oraratgettingintoyourbreeches-pocketinsearchoffood，therewastheanimalandchemicalodourtobefaced，whichalwayshungabouttheden，andthechanceofbeingblownupinsomeofthemanyexperimentswhichMartinwasalwaystrying，withthemostwondrousresultsintheshapeofexplosionsandsmellsthatmortalboyeverheardof。Ofcourse，poorMartin，inconsequenceofhispursuits，hadbecomeanIshmaeliteinthehouse。Inthefirstplace，hehalf-poisonedallhisneighbours，andtheyinturnwerealwaysonthelookouttopounceuponanyofhisnumerouslive-stock，anddrivehimfranticbyenticinghispetoldmagpieoutofhiswindowintoaneighbouringstudy，andmakingthedisreputableoldbirddrunkontoastsoakedinbeerandsugar。ThenMartin，forhissins，inhabitedastudylookingintoasmallcourtsometenfeetacross，thewindowofwhichwascompletelycommandedbythoseofthestudiesoppositeintheSick-roomRow，theselatterbeingataslightlyhigherelevation。East，andanotherboyofanequallytormentingandingeniousturnofmind，nowlivedexactlyopposite，andhadexpendedhugepainsandtimeinthepreparationofinstrumentsofannoyanceforthebehoofofMartinandhislivecolony。Onemorninganoldbasketmadeitsappearance，suspendedbyashortcordoutsideMartin’swindow，inwhichweredepositedanamateurnestcontainingfouryounghungryjackdaws，theprideandgloryofMartin’slife，forthetimebeing，andwhichhewascurrentlyassertedtohavehatcheduponhisownperson。Earlyinthemorningandlateatnighthewastobeseenhalfoutofwindow，administeringtothevariedwantsofhiscallowbrood。Afterdeepcogitation，Eastandhischumhadsplicedaknifeontotheendofafishing-rod；andhavingwatchedMartinout，had，afterhalfanhour’sseveresawing，cutthestringbywhichthebasketwassuspended，andtumbleditontothepavementbelow，withhideousremonstrancefromtheoccupants。PoorMartin，returningfromhisshortabsence，collectedthefragmentsandreplacedhisbrood(exceptonewhoseneckhadbeenbrokeninthedescent)intheiroldlocation，suspendingthemthistimebystringandwiretwistedtogether，defiantofanysharpinstrumentwhichhispersecutorscouldcommand。But，liketheRussianengineersatSebastopol，Eastandhischumhadananswerforeverymoveoftheadversary，andthenextdayhadmountedagunintheshapeofapea-shooterupontheledgeoftheirwindow，trainedsoastobearexactlyuponthespotwhichMartinhadtooccupywhiletendinghisnurslings。Themomenthebegantofeedtheybegantoshoot。Invaindidtheenemyhimselfinvestinapea-
shooter，andendeavourtoanswerthefirewhilehefedtheyoungbirdswithhisotherhand；hisattentionwasdivided，andhisshotsflewwild，whileeveryoneoftheirstoldonhisfaceandhands，anddrovehimintohowlingsandimprecations。Hehadbeendriventoensconcethenestinacornerofhisalreadytoo-
well-filledden。
