; "because I'd like to shy a boot at his head."

At this Charlie subsided, not desiring to gratify his unknown auditor in
his benevolent desire, and very soon after jumped up and dressed
himself.

"Look here, youngster," said Joe, "you'd better do my study now, as you
mayn't have time after breakfast to-day. You know which room it is--the
sixth on your right when you get downstairs. Cut along, look sharp,
you've a good half-hour."

Charlie made his way down to the lion's den, meeting on his way several
other discontented fags, bound on similar errands. He set himself to
clean the window, tidy the cupboard, and generally put things square,
and had succeeded fairly well in this endeavour by the time his patron
made his appearance.

"What's the time?" inquired that lord of creation, running his eye
rapidly round the room at the same time, to notice how his fag had done
his duty.

"It's five minutes to eight," replied Charlie, after consulting me, and
highly delighted to be thus appealed to.

"Come along to breakfast, then. You'll have to sit at a different table
from me; but mind and wait for me afterwards, for I've got to take you
to the doctor."

So Charlie was conducted down to the hall to breakfast, and provided
with a humble seat at the foot of the lowest table, while Joe Halliday
made his way with all the dignity that became his years to a
distinguished place at the highest.

My master found himself among a set of noisy little boys, who amused
themselves during the greater part of the meal by interchanging volleys
of bread pellets, which much oftener missed their marks than reached
them, in consequence of which he himself came in for the brunt of the
cannonade. Once he ventured to return one of the random shots which had
found its way to his fingers. Fortune favoured his aim, and his shaft
hit the boy it was intended for full in the eye.

"Who did that?" cried the wounded hero sharply.

"I did," replied Charlie, quite proud of his achievement.

"All right, I'll punch your head for it when we get outside."

This was by no means what Charlie had expected. He had imagined the
wound would be received in the same spirit of jest in which it was
aimed.

"It was only in fun," he explained; "did it hurt you?"

"Of course it did," exclaimed the injured youth, who till Charlie's
arrival had been the junior pupil of the school, and was now delighted
to find some one below himself in the scale of seniorit