aking voice and manner.
Eric listened admiringly, and felt sure he should like him.

Barker was put on next. He bungled through the Latin in a grating,
irresolute sort of way, with several false quantities, for each of which
the next boy took him up. Then he began to construe;--a frightful
confusion of nominatives without verbs, accusatives translated as
ablatives, and adverbs turned into prepositions, ensued, and after a
hopeless flounder, during which Mr Gordon left him entirely to himself,
Barker came to a full stop; his catastrophe was so ludicrous, that Eric
could not help joining in the general titter. Barker scowled.

"As usual, Barker," said the master, with a curl of the lip. "Hold out
your hand!"

Barker did so, looking sullen defiance, and the cane immediately
descended on his open palm. Six similar cuts followed, during which the
form looked on, not without terror; and Barker, squeezing his hands
tight together, went back to his seat.

"Williams, translate the piece in which Barker has just failed."

Eric did as he was bid, and got through it pretty well. He had now
quite recovered his ordinary bearing, and spoke out clearly and without
nervousness. He afterwards won several places by answering questions,
and at the end of the lesson was marked about half-way up the form. The
boys' numbers were then taken down in the weekly register, and they went
back to their seats.

On his desk Eric found a torn bit of paper, on which was clumsily
scrawled, "I'll teach you to grin when I'm turned, you young brute."

The paper seemed to fascinate his eyes. He stared at it fixedly, and
augured ominously of Barker's intentions, since that worthy obviously
alluded to his having smiled in form, and chose to interpret it as an
intentional provocation. He felt that he was in for it, and that Barker
meant to pick a quarrel with him. This puzzled and annoyed him, and he
felt very sad to have found an enemy already.

While he was looking at the paper the great school-clock struck twelve;
and the captain of the form getting up, threw open the folding doors of
the schoolroom.

"You may go," said Mr Gordon; and leaving his seat, disappeared by a
door at the farther end of the room.

Instantly there was a rush for caps, and the boys poured out in a
confused and noisy stream, while at the same moment the other
schoolrooms disgorged their inmates. Eric naturally went out among the
last; but just as he was going to