ed, and broke out--

"So, sir! a second time caught in gross deceit. I should not have
thought it possible. Your face and manners belie you. You have lost my
confidence for ever. I _despise_ you."

"Indeed, sir," said the penitent Eric, "I never meant--"

"Silence--you are detected, as cheats always will be. I shall report
you to Dr Rowlands."

The next boy was put on, and broke down. The same with the next, and
the next, and the next; Montagu, Graham, Llewellyn, Duncan, Barker, all
hopeless failures; only two boys had said it right--Russell and Owen.

Mr Gordon's face grew blacker and blacker. The deep undisguised pain
which the discovery caused him was swallowed up in unbounded
indignation. "Deceitful, dishonourable boys," he exclaimed, "henceforth
my treatment of you shall be very different. The whole form, except
Russell and Owen, shall have an extra lesson every half-holiday; not one
of the rest of you will I trust again. I took you for gentlemen. I was
mistaken. Go." And so saying, he motioned them to their seats with
imperious disdain.

They went, looking sheepish and ashamed. Eric, deeply vexed, kept
twisting and untwisting a bit of paper, without raising his eyes, and
even Barker thoroughly repented his short-sighted treachery; the rest
were silent and miserable.

At twelve o'clock two boys lingered in the room to speak to Mr Gordon;
they were Eric Williams and Edwin Russell, but they were full of very
different feelings.

Eric stepped to the desk first. Mr Gordon looked up.

"You! Williams, I wonder that you have the audacity to speak to me.
Go--I have nothing to say to you."

"But, sir, I want to tell you that--"

"Your guilt is only too clear, Williams. You will hear more of this.
Go, I tell you."

Eric's passion overcame him; he stamped furiously on the ground, and
burst out, "I _will_ speak, sir; you have been unjust to me for a long
time, but I will _not_ be--"

Mr Gordon's cane fell sharply across the boy's back; he stopped, glared
for a moment, and then saying, "Very well, sir! I shall tell Dr
Rowlands that you strike before you hear me," he angrily left the room,
and slammed the door violently behind him.

Before Mr Gordon had time to recover from his astonishment, Russell
stood by him.

"Well, my boy," said the master, softening in a moment, and laying his
hand gently on Russell's head, "what have you to say? You cannot tell
how I rejoice, amid the vexation and d