rious school notices, to which
there were always affixed two or three pieces of paper containing
announcements about examinations and other matters of general interest.

On Saturday morning (when Eric was to give up his Georgic), the boys, as
they dropped into the hall for morning school, observed a new notice on
the board, and thronging round to see what it was, read these words,
written on a half-sheet of paper attached by wafers to the board--

"GORDON IS A SURLY DEVIL."

As may be supposed, so completely novel an announcement took them all
very much by surprise, and they wondered who had been so audacious as to
play this trick. But their wonder was cut short by the entrance of the
masters, and they all took their seats, without any one tearing down the
dangerous paper.

After a few minutes the eye of the second master, Mr Ready, fell on the
paper, and, going up, he read it, stood for a moment transfixed with
astonishment, and then called Mr Rose.

Pointing to the inscription he said, "I think we had better leave that
there, Rose, exactly as it is, till Dr Rowlands has seen it. Would you
mind asking him to step in here?"

Just at this juncture Eric came in, having been delayed by Mr Gordon,
while he rigidly inspected the imposition. As he took his seat,
Montagu, who was next him, whispered--

"I say, have you seen the notice-board?"

"No. Why?"

"Why, some fellow has been writing up an opinion of Gordon not very
favourable."

"And serve him right, too, brute!" said Eric, smarting with the memory
of his imposition.

"Well, there'll be no end of a row; you'll see."

During this conversation, Dr Rowlands came in with Mr Rose. He read
the paper, frowned, pondered a moment, and then said to Mr Rose--

"Would you kindly summon the lower-school into the hall? As it would be
painful to Mr Gordon to be present, you had better explain to him how
matters stand."

"Hulloa! here's a rumpus!" whispered Montagu; "he never has the
lower-school down for nothing."

A noise was heard on the stairs, and in flocked the lower-school. When
they had ranged themselves on the vacant forms, there was a dead silence
and hush of expectation.

"I have summoned you all together," said the Doctor, "on a most serious
occasion. This morning, on coming into the schoolroom, the masters
found that the notice-board had been abused for the purpose of writing
up an insult to one of our number, which is at once coarse and wicked