which I mean animal life in its fullest measure, good
nature and honest impulses, hatred of injustice and meanness, and
thoughtlessness enough to sink a three-decker. And so, during the next
two years, in which it was more than doubtful whether he would get good
or evil from the School, and before any steady purpose or principle grew
up in him, whatever his week's sins and shortcomings might have been, he
hardly ever left the chapel on Sunday evenings without a serious resolve
to stand by and follow the Doctor, and a feeling that it was only
cowardice (the incarnation of all other sins in such a boy's mind) which
hindered him from doing so with all his heart.

The next day Tom was duly placed in the third form, and began his
lessons in a corner of the big School. He found the work very easy, as
he had been well grounded, and knew his grammar by heart; and, as he had
no intimate companions to make him idle (East and his other School-house
friends being in the lower fourth, the form above him), soon gained
golden opinions from his master, who said he was placed too low, and
should be put out at the end of the half-year. So all went well with him
in School, and he wrote the most flourishing letters home to his mother,
full of his own success and the unspeakable delights of a public school.

In the house, too, all went well. The end of the half-year was drawing
near, which kept everybody in a good humour, and the house was ruled
well and strongly by Warner and Brooke. True, the general system was
rough and hard, and there was bullying in nooks and corners--bad signs
for the future; but it never got farther, or dared show itself openly,
stalking about the passages and hall and bedrooms, and making the life
of the small boys a continual fear.

Tom, as a new boy, was of right excused fagging for the first month, but
in his enthusiasm for his new life this privilege hardly pleased him;
and East and others of his young friends, discovering this, kindly
allowed him to indulge his fancy, and take their turns at night fagging
and cleaning studies. These were the principal duties of the fags in the
house. From supper until nine o'clock three fags taken in order stood in
the passages, and answered any prepostor who called "Fag," racing to the
door, the last comer having to do the work. This consisted generally of
going to the buttery for beer and bread and cheese (for the great men
did not sup with the rest, but had each his own al