self of so mean a spirit of
jealousy at superior excellence, he could not make it out; but such was
the fact, and the very mysteriousness of it made it more intolerable to
bear.

But it must be admitted that he made matters worse by his own bursts of
passion. His was not the temper to turn the other cheek; but, brave and
spirited as he was, he felt how utterly hopeless would be any attempt on
his part to repel force by force. He would have tried some slight
conciliation, but it was really impossible with such a boy as his enemy.
Barker never gave him even so much as an indifferent look, much less a
civil word. Eric loathed him, and the only good and happy part of the
matter to his own mind was, that conscientiously his only desire was to
get rid of him, and be left alone, while he never cherished a particle
of revenge.

While every day Eric was getting on better in form, and winning himself
a very good position with the other boys, who liked his frankness, his
mirth, his spirit, and cleverness, he felt this feud with Barker like a
dark background to all his enjoyment. He even had to manoeuvre daily
how to escape him, and violent scenes were of constant occurrence
between them.

Eric could not, and would not, brook his bullying with silence. His
resentment was loud and stinging, and, Ishmaelite as Barker was, even
_his_ phlegmatic temperament took fire when Eric shouted his fierce and
uncompromising retorts in the hearing of the others.

Meanwhile Eric was on the best of terms with the rest of the form, and
such of the other boys as he knew, although, at first, his position as a
home-boarder prevented his knowing many. Besides Russell, there were
three whom he liked best, and respected most--Duncan, Montagu, and Owen.
They were very different boys, but all of them had qualities which well
deserved his esteem. Duncan was the most boyish of boys, intensely full
of fun, good nature, and vigour; with fair abilities, he never got on
well, because he could not be still for two minutes; and even if, in
some fit of sudden ambition, he got up high in the form, he was sure to
be put to the bottom again before the day was over, for trifling or
talking. But out of school he was the soul of every game; whatever _he_
took up was sure to be done pleasantly, and no party of amusement was
ever planned without endeavouring to secure him as one of the number.

Montagu's chief merit was, that he was such a thorough little gentl