nasty girl?' I persisted.

'No, a nice one, as it happens,' was his answer.

My only feeling was jealousy of the superior knowledge of the sex
possessed by Temple, for I could not fathom the meaning of coquette; but
he had sisters. Temple and I walked the grounds together, mutually
declaring how much we would forfeit for Heriot's sake. By this time my
Sunday visits to Julia had been interdicted: I was plunged, as it were,
in the pit of the school, and my dreams of my father were losing
distinctness. A series of boxes on the ears from Boddy began to astound
and transform me. Mr. Rippenger, too, threatened me with carvings, though
my offences were slight. 'Yes,' said Temple and I, in chorus, 'but you
daren't strike Heriot!' This was our consolation, and the sentiment of
the school. Fancy, then, our amazement to behold him laying the cane on
Heriot's shoulders as fiercely as he could, and Boddy seconding him. The
scene was terrible. We were all at our desks doing evening tasks for the
morrow, a great matchday at cricket, Boddy watching over us, and
bellowing, 'Silence at your work, you lazy fellows, if you want lessons
to be finished at ten in the morning!' A noise came growing up to us from
below, up the stairs from the wet-weather shed, and Heriot burst into the
room, old Rippenger after him, panting.

'Mr. Boddy, you were right,' he cried, 'I find him a prowler, breaking
all rules of discipline. A perverted, impudent rascal! An example shall
be set to my school, sir. We have been falling lax. What! I find the
puppy in my garden whistling--he confesses--for one of my servants--here,
Mr. Boddy, if you please. My school shall see that none insult me with
impunity!' He laid on Heriot like a wind on a bulrush. Heriot bent his
shoulders a trifle, not his head.

'Hit away, sir,' he said, during the storm of blows, and I, through my
tears, imagined him (or I do now) a young eagle forced to bear the
thunder, but with his face to it. Then we saw Boddy lay hands on him, and
in a twinkling down pitched the usher, and the boys cheered--chirped, I
should say, they exulted so, and merely sang out like birds, without any
wilfulness of delight or defiance. After the fall of Boddy we had no
sense of our hero suffering shame. Temple and I clutched fingers tight as
long as the blows went on. We hoped for Boddy to make another attempt to
touch Heriot; he held near the master, looking ready to spring, like a
sallow panther; we kept hopin