's. We therefore leave the charge of
stating the case against him to Duncan, with whom he has never
quarrelled."

Russell sat down amid general applause; he had performed his task with a
wonderful modesty and self-possession, which filled every one with
admiration, and Eric warmly pressed his hand.

The interest of the school was intensely excited, and Duncan, after a
minute's pause, starting up, said--

"Williams has allowed his desk to be brought in and examined. Will
Barker do the same?" The culprit now saw at once that his plot to ruin
Eric was recoiling on himself. He got up, swore and blustered at
Russell, Duncan, and Montagu, and at first flatly refused to allow his
desk to be brought. He was, however, forced to yield, and when opened,
it was immediately seen that the note-paper it contained was identical
with that on which the words had been written. At this he affected to
be perfectly unconcerned, and merely protested against what he called
the meanness of trying to fix the charge on him.

"And what have you been doing the whole of the last day or two," asked
Gibson quietly, "but endeavouring to fix the charge on another?"

"We have stronger evidence against you," said Duncan, confronting him
with an undaunted look, before which his insolence quailed. "Russell,
will you call Graham?"

Graham was called, and put on his honour.

"You were in the sick-room on Friday evening?"

"Yes."

"Did you see any one get in to the schoolroom through the side window?"

"That's a leading question," interrupted Barker.

"Stuff!" said Graham contemptuously, not vouchsafing further reply to
the objection. "I'll just tell you all I know. I was sitting doing
nothing in the sick-room, when I suddenly saw Barker clamber into the
schoolroom by the window, which he left open. I was looking on simply
from curiosity, and saw him search Williams's desk, from which he took
out something, I could not make out what. He then went to his own desk,
and wrote for about ten minutes, after which I observed him go up and
stand by the notice-board. When he had done this, he got out by the
window again, and ran off."

"Didn't this strike you as extraordinary?"

"No; I thought nothing more about it till some one told me in the
sick-room about this row. I then mentioned privately what I had seen,
and it wasn't till I saw Duncan, half an hour ago, that I thought it
worth while to make it generally known."

Duncan turned an