“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，wasoneofthoseunfortunateswhowereatthattimeofdayandare，Ifear，stillquiteoutoftheirplacesatapublicschool。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，collectedthefragmentsandreplacedhisbroodexceptonewhoseneckhadbeenbrokeninthedescentintheiroldlocation，suspendingthemthistimebystringandwiretwistedtogether，defiantofanysharpinstrumentwhichhispersecutorscouldcommand。But，liketheRussianengineersatSebastopol，Eastandhischumhadananswerforeverymoveoftheadversary，andthenextdayhadmountedagunintheshapeofapea-shooterupontheledgeoftheirwindow，trainedsoastobearexactlyuponthespotwhichMartinhadtooccupywhiletendinghisnurslings。Themomenthebegantofeedtheybegantoshoot。Invaindidtheenemyhimselfinvestinapea-
　　shooter，andendeavourtoanswerthefirewhilehefedtheyoungbirdswithhisotherhand；hisattentionwasdivided，andhisshotsflewwild，whileeveryoneoftheirstoldonhisfaceandhands，anddrovehimintohowlingsandimprecations。Hehadbeendriventoensconcethenestinacornerofhisalreadytoo-
　　well-filledden。