accorded to the boys, Carlo's innocence, in the first place, of any
intentional disobedience.

"Mr. Sawyer heard him patiently; whether his arguments would have had any
effect, Jack, at that time at least, had not the satisfaction of knowing,
for when he left off speaking Mr. Sawyer replied quietly,

"'I am very sorry to seem severe to your brother, Berkeley, but what I
have done I believed to be my duty. I have _already_ reported him.'

"Jack turned on his heel and left the room without speaking. Only as he
crossed the threshold one word of unutterable contempt fell from between
his teeth. '_Cad_,' he muttered, careless whether Sawyer heard him or
not.

"And from that moment Jack's championship of the obnoxious master was
over; and throughout the school he was never spoken of among the boys,
big and little, but as 'that cad Sawyer.'

"Though, after all, the 'reporting' turned out less terrible than was
expected. How it was managed I cannot exactly say, but Carlo was let
off with a reprimand, and new and rigorous orders were issued against
'bar-jumping' under any excuse whatever.

"I think it probable that the 'authorities' privately pointed out to
Mr. Sawyer that there might be such a thing as over-much zeal in the
discharge of his duties, and if so I have no doubt he took it in
good part. For it was not zeal which actuated him--it was simple
conscientiousness, misdirected perhaps by his inexperience. He could not
endure hurting any one or anything, and probably his very knowledge of
his weakness made him afraid of himself. Be that as it may, no one
concerned rejoiced more heartily than he at Carlo's acquittal.

"But it was too late--the mischief was done. Day by day the exaggerated
prejudice and suspicion with which he was regarded became more apparent.
Yet he did not resent it--he worked on, hoping that in time it might be
overcome, for he yearned to be liked and trusted, and his motives for
wishing to do well at Ryeburn were very strong ones.

"And gradually, as time went on, things improved a little. Now and then
the better-disposed of the boys felt ashamed of the tacit disrespect with
which one so enduring and inoffensive was treated; and among these
better-disposed I need hardly say was our Jack.

"It was the end of October. But a few days were wanting to the
anniversary so dear to schoolboy hearts--that of Gunpowder Plot. This
year the fifth of November celebration was to be of more than ordinary
mag