th considerable credit, and
in the Easter examination came out high enough in the upper fifth to
secure his remove into the sixth-form after the holidays.

He felt far happier in the endeavour to do his duty, than he had ever
done during the last years of recklessness and neglect, and the change
for the better in his character tended to restore unanimity and goodwill
to the school. Eric no longer headed the party which made a point of
ridiculing and preventing industry; and sharing as he did the sympathy
of nearly all the boys, he was able quietly and unobtrusively to calm
down the jealousies and allay the heart-burnings which had for so long a
time brought discord and disunion into the school society. Cheerfulness
and unanimity began to prevail once more at Roslyn, and Eric had the
intense happiness of seeing how much good lay still within his power.

So the Easter holidays commenced with promise, and the few first days
glided away in innocent enjoyments. Eric was now reconciled again to
Owen and Duncan, and, therefore, had a wider choice of companions more
truly congenial to his higher nature than the narrow circle of his late
associates.

"What do you say to a boat excursion to-morrow?" asked Duncan as they
chatted together one evening.

"I won't go without leave," said Eric; "I should only get caught, and
get into another mess. Besides, I feel myself pledged now to strict
obedience."

"Ay, you're quite right. We'll get leave easily enough though, provided
we agree to take Jim the boatman with us; so I vote we make up a party."

"By the bye, I forgot; I'm engaged to Wildney to-morrow."

"Never mind. Bring him with you, and Graham too, if you like."

"Most gladly," said Eric, really pleased; for he saw by this that Duncan
observed the improvement in his old friends, and was falling in with the
endeavour to make all the boys really cordial to each other, and destroy
all traces of the late factions.

"Do you mind my bringing Montagu?"

"Not at all. Why should I?" answered Eric, with a slight blush.
Montagu and he had never been formally reconciled, nor had they, as yet,
spoken to each other. Indeed, Duncan had purposely planned the
excursion to give them an opportunity of becoming friends once more, by
being thrown together. He knew well that they both earnestly wished it,
although, with the natural shyness of boys, they hardly knew how to set
about effecting it. Montagu hung back lest he should see