e with great good-humour, and invited him to his rooms
to spend an evening and talk over school-work.

"You are not likely to have much leisure at first. I wish you had a
quieter house; but a little good government and sympathy will go a long
way towards bringing it up to the mark. As to the Shell, you will find
that pretty easy. It wants more management than teaching--at least, I
found so. If once the boys can be put on the right track, they will go
pretty much of their own accord. It's easier to guide them than drive
them; don't you think so?"

"I have no experience yet; but that is my idea, certainly."

"Then you'll succeed. Have you been introduced to Monsieur Lablache?
This is Mr Railsford, the new Master of the Shell, monsieur."

Monsieur shrugged himself ceremoniously. He had a big moustache, which
curled up in an enigmatical way when he smiled; and Railsford was at a
loss whether to like him or dislike him.

"We shall be friends, Meester Railsford, I hope," said the foreigner; "I
have much to do wiz ze young gentlemen of the Sell. Helas! they try my
patience; but I like them, Meester Railsford, I like them."

"I only wish I knew whether I liked you," inwardly ejaculated the new
master, as he smiled in response to the confession.

A bell put an end to further conference, and Mark went off in a somewhat
excited state of mind to his own house.

Mr Roe's few words stuck in his mind--especially one of them.

What did he mean by classing sympathy and good government together in
the way he had? How can you reduce a disorderly house to order by
sympathy?

However, he had no leisure for guessing riddles that night.

CHAPTER FOUR.

A FRIENDLY CHAT.

If Mark Railsford had been left with no better guide to his new duties
and responsibilities than the few hurried utterances given by Dr
Ponsford during their tour through the premises that morning, his
progress would have been very slow and unsatisfactory. It was part of
the doctor's method never to do for anyone, colleague or boy, what they
could possibly do for themselves. He believed in piling up difficulties
at the beginning of an enterprise, instead of making smooth the start
and saving up the hard things for later on. If a master of his got
through his first term well, he would be pretty sure to turn out well in
future. But meanwhile he got as little help from head-quarters as
possible, and had to make all his discoveries, arrange his own