eman;
"such a jolly little fellow," every one said of him. Without being
clever or athletic, he managed to do very fairly both at work and at the
games, and while he was too exclusive to make many _intimate_ friends,
everybody liked walking about or talking with him. Even Barker,
blackguard as he was, seemed to be a little uneasy when confronted with
Montagu's naturally noble and chivalrous bearing. In nearly all
respects his influence was thoroughly good, and few boys were more
generally popular.

Owen, again, was a very different boy. His merit was a ceaseless
diligence, in which it was doubtful whether ambition or
conscientiousness had the greatest share. Reserved and thoughtful,
unfitted for or indifferent to most games, he was anything but a
favourite with the rest, and Eric rather respected than liked him. When
he first came he had been one of the most natural butts for Barker's
craving ill-nature, and for a time he had been tremendously bullied.
But gradually his mental superiority asserted itself. He took
everything without tears and without passion, and this diminished the
pleasure of annoying him. One day when Barker had given him an
unprovoked kick, he quietly said--

"Barker, next time you do that I'll tell Mr Gordon."

"Sneak! do it if you dare." And he kicked him again; but the moment
after he was sorry for it, for there was a dark look in Owen's eyes, as
he turned instantly into the door of the master's room, and laid a
formal complaint against Barker for bullying.

Mr Gordon didn't like "telling," and he said so to Owen, without
reserve. An ordinary boy would have broken into a flood of explanations
and palliations, but Owen simply bowed, and said nothing. "He stood
there for justice," and he had counted the cost. Strong-minded and
clear-headed, he calculated correctly that the momentary dislike of his
school-fellows, with whom he well knew that he never could be popular,
would be less unbearable than Barker's villainous insults. The
consequence was, that Mr Gordon caned Barker soundly, although, with
some injustice, he made no attempt to conceal that he did it
unwillingly.

Of course the fellows were very indignant with Owen for sneaking, as
they called it, and for a week or two he had the keen mortification of
seeing "Owen is a sneak" written up all about the walls. But he was too
proud or too cold to make any defence till called upon, and bore it in
silence. Barker threatened ete