ossibly to contaminate others with the danger of
so pernicious an example."

Such a sentence was wholly unexpected; it took boys and masters equally
by surprise. The announcement of it caused an uneasy sensation, which
was evident to all present, though no one spoke a word; but Dr Rowlands
took no notice of it, and only said to the culprits--

"You may return to your seats."

The two boys found their way back instinctively, they hardly knew how.
They seemed confounded and thunderstruck by their sentence, and the
painful accessories of its publicity. Eric leaned over the desk with
his head resting on a book, too stunned even to think; and Wildney
looked straight before him, with his eyes fixed in a stupid and
unobservant stare.

Form by form the school dispersed, and the moment he was liberated Eric
sprang away from the boys, who would have spoken to him, and rushed
wildly to his study, where he locked the door. In a moment, however, he
re-opened it, for he heard Wildney's step, and, after admitting him,
locked it once more.

Without a word Wildney, who looked very pale, flung his arms round
Eric's neck, and, unable to bear up any longer, burst into a flood of
tears. Both of them felt relief in giving the reins to their sorrow,
and silently satiating the anguish of their hearts.

"Oh, my father! my father!" sobbed Wildney at length, "what will he say?
He will disown me, I know; he is so stern always with me when he thinks
I bring disgrace on him."

Eric thought of Fairholm, and of his own far-distant parents, and of the
pang which _his_ disgrace would cause their loving hearts; but he could
say nothing, and only stroked Wildney's dark hair again and again with a
soothing hand.

They sat there long, hardly knowing how the time passed; Eric could not
help thinking how very very different their relative positions might
have been; how, while he might have been aiding and ennobling the young
boy beside him, he had alternately led and followed him into wickedness
and disgrace. His heart was full of misery and bitterness, and he felt
almost indifferent to all the future, and weary of his life.

A loud knocking at the door disturbed them. It was Carter, the
school-servant.

"You must pack up to go this evening, young gentlemen."

"Oh no! no! no!" exclaimed Wildney; "I _cannot_ be sent away like this.
It would break my father's heart. Eric, _do_ come and entreat Dr
Rowlands to forgive us only this once."

"