ose
looked at it, for it was new that morning.

"Ha! I see; more mischief; there is a hair in it."

The boys were too much frightened to smile at the complete success of
the trick.

"Who did this? I must be told at once."

"I did, sir," said Wildney, stepping forward.

"Ha! very well," said Mr Rose, while, in spite of his anger, a smile
hovered at the corner of his lips. "Go and borrow me a cane from Mr
Harley."

While he went there was unbroken silence.

"Now, sir," said he to Brigson, "I shall flog you." Corporal punishment
was avoided with the bigger boys, and Brigson had never undergone it
before. At the first stroke he writhed and yelled; at the second he
retreated, twisting like a serpent, and blubbering like a baby; at the
third he flung himself on his knees, and as the strokes fell fast,
clasped Mr Rose's arm, and implored and besought for mercy.

"_Miserable_ coward," said Mr Rose, throwing into the word such ringing
scorn that no one who heard it ever forgot it. He indignantly shook the
boy off, and caned him till he rolled on the floor, losing every
particle of self-control, and calling out, "The devil--the devil--the
devil!" ("invoking his patron saint," as Wildney maliciously observed).

"There! cease to blaspheme, and get up," said the master, blowing out a
cloud of fiery indignation. "There, sir. Retribution comes at last,
leaden-footed but iron-handed. A long catalogue of sins is visited on
you to-day, and not only on your shrinking body, but on your conscience
too, if you have one left. Let those red marks betoken that your reign
is ended. Liar and tempter, you have led boys into the sins which you
then meanly deny! And now, you boys, _there_ in that coward, who cannot
even endure his richly-merited punishment, see the boy whom you have
suffered to be your _leader_ for well-nigh six months!"

"Now, sir,"--again he turned upon Brigson--"that flogging shall be
repeated with interest on your next offence. At present you will take
each boy on your back while I cane him. It is fit that they should see
where _you_ lead them to."

Trembling violently, and cowed beyond description, he did as he was bid.
No other boy cried, or even winced; a few sharp cuts was all which Mr
Rose gave them, and even they grew fewer each time, for he was tired,
and displeased to be an executioner.

"And now," he said, "since that disgusting but necessary scene is over,
_never_ let me have to repeat it