be often with his
brother, and disliked to find him so often creeping to his side. He
flattered himself that in this feeling he was only anxious that Vernon
should grow spirited and independent; but, had he examined himself, he
would have found selfishness at the bottom of it. Once or twice his
manner showed harshness to Vernon, and his young brother both observed
and resented it. Montagu and others noticed him for Eric's sake; but,
being in the same form with Brigson, Vernon was thrown much with him,
and feeling, as he did, deserted and lonely, he was easily caught by the
ascendency of his physical strength and reckless daring. Before three
months were over, he became, to Eric's intolerable disgust, a ringleader
in the band of troublesome scapegraces, whose increasing numbers were
the despair of all who had the interest of the school at heart.

Unfortunately, Owen was now head of the school, and from his
constitutional want of geniality, he was so little of a boy that he had
no sympathy with the others, and little authority over them. He simply
kept aloof, holding his own way, and retiring into his own tastes and
pursuits, and the society of one or two congenial spirits in the school,
so as in no way to come in contact with the spreading corruption.

Montagu, now Owen's chief friend, was also in the sixth, and fearlessly
expressed at once his contempt for Brigson, and his dread of the evil he
was effecting. Had the monitorial system existed, that contagion could
have been effectually checked; but, as it was, brute force had unlimited
authority. Ill indeed are those informed who raise a cry, and join in
the ignorant abuse of that noble safeguard of English schools. Any who
have had personal and intimate experience of how schools work _with_ it
and _without_ it, know what a Palladium it is of happiness and morality;
how it prevents bullying, upholds manliness, is the bulwark of
discipline, and makes boys more earnest and thoughtful, often at the
most critical periods of their lives, by enlisting all their sympathies
and interests on the side of the honourable and the just.

Brigson knew at a glance whom he had most to fear; Ball, Attlay,
Llewellyn, Graham, all tolerated or even approved of him. Owen did not
come in his way, so he left him unmolested. To Eric and Duncan he was
scrupulously civil, and by flattery and deference managed to keep
apparently on excellent terms with them. Eric pretended to be ignoran