! What a rage the
Doctor will be in to-morrow!"

"Won't you just catch it!" said Barker to Duncan, but intending the
remark for Eric.

"Just like your mean chaff," retorted Duncan. "But I say, Williams," he
continued, laughing, "you _did_ look so funny in the whiskers."

At this juncture they heard all the study-boys running downstairs to the
library, and, lost in conjecture, retired to their different rooms.

"What do you think he'll do to us?" asked Eric.

"I don't know," said Duncan uneasily; "flog us for one thing, that's
certain. I'm so sorry about that basin, Eric; but it's no good
fretting. We've had our cake, and now we must pay for it, that's all."

Eric's cogitations began to be unpleasant, when the door opened, and
somebody stole noiselessly in.

"Who's there?"

"Upton. I've come to have a chat. The Doctor's like a turkey-cock at
the sight of a red handkerchief. Never saw him in such a rage."

"Why, what's he been saying?" asked Eric, as Upton came and took a seat
on his bed.

"Oh! he's been rowing us like six o'clock," said Upton, "about `moral
responsibility,' `abetting the follies of children,' `forgetting our
position in the school,' and I don't know what all; and he ended by
asking who'd been in the dormitories. Of course, I confessed the soft
impeachment, whereon he snorted, `Ha! I suspected so. Very well, sir,
you don't know how to use a study; you shall be deprived of it till the
end of term.'"

"Did he really, Horace?" said Eric. "And it's all my doing that you've
got into the scrape. Do forgive me."

"Bosh! My dear fellow," said Upton, "it's twice as much my fault as
yours; and, after all, it was only a bit of fun. It's rather a bore
losing the study, certainly; but never mind, we shall see all the more
of each other. Good-night; I must be off."

Next morning, prayers were no sooner over than Dr Rowlands said to the
boys, "Stop! I have a word to say to you."

"I find that there was the utmost disorder in the dormitories yesterday
evening. All the candles were relighted at forbidden hours, and the
noise made was so great that it was heard through the whole building. I
am grieved that I cannot leave you, even for a few hours, without your
taking such advantage of my absence; and that the upper boys, so far
from using their influence to prevent these infractions of discipline,
seem inclined rather to join in them themselves. On this occasion I
have punished Upton, b