oaning on his
bed in one corner of the room, but looked up with red furious eyes as
Paul came in.

"What do you want up here?" he said savagely. "Go away, can't you!"

"I wish I _could_ go away," said Paul dolefully; "but I'm--hum--I'm sent
up here too," he explained, with some natural embarrassment.

"What!" cried Coggs, slipping off his bed and staring wildly: "you don't
mean to say you're going to catch it too?"

"I've--ah--every reason to fear," said Mr. Bultitude stiffly, "that I am
indeed going to 'catch it,' as you call it."

"Hooray!" shouted Coggs hysterically: "I don't care now. And I'll have
some revenge on my own account as well. I don't mind an extra licking,
and you're in for one as it is. Will you stand up to me or not?"

"I don't understand you," said Paul. "Don't come so near. Keep off, you
young demon, will you!" he cried presently, as Coggs, exasperated by all
his wrongs, was rushing at him with an evidently hostile intent. "There,
don't be annoyed, my good boy," he pleaded, catching up a chair as a
bulwark. "It was a misunderstanding. I wish you no harm. There, my dear
young friend! Don't!"

The "dear young friend" was grappling with him and attempting to wrest
the chair away by brute force. "When I get at you," he said, his hot
breath hissing through the chair rungs, "I'll jolly well teach you to
sneak of me!"

"Murder!" Paul gasped, feeling his hold on the chair relaxing. "Unless
help comes this young fiend will have my blood!"

They were revolving slowly round the chair, watching each other's eyes
like gladiators, when Paul noticed a sudden blankness and fixity in his
antagonist's expression, and, looking round, saw Dr. Grimstone's awful
form framed in the doorway, and gave himself up for lost.

6. _Learning and Accomplishments_

"I subscribe to Lucian: 'tis an elegant thing which cheareth up the
mind, exerciseth the body, delights the spectators, which teacheth
many comely gestures, equally affecting the ears, eyes and soul
itself."--BURTON, _on Dancing_.

"What is this?" asked Dr. Grimstone in his most blood-curdling tone,
after a most impressive pause at the dormitory door.

Mr. Bultitude held his tongue, but kept fast hold of his chair, which he
held before him as a defence against either party, while Coggs remained
motionless in the centre of the room, with crooked knees and hands
dangling impotently.

"Will one of you be good enough to explain how