charge hanging over me would make upon
one who had so often impressed upon me the duties of him who would grow
up to be a gentleman, and who was to occupy the position of an officer
in a gallant service.

"Shall I dare to hold out?" I asked myself; "shall I be able to clear
myself without accusing Tom?"

I started, for there was a thud at my window, as if something moderately
soft had struck the frame.

But I could see nothing, and I was sinking back into my musing fit
again, when something struck me on the back, and then fell with a dull
sound upon the floor and rolled under the wash-stand.

I stooped and picked it up, to find that it was one of the solid
indiarubber balls we used for our games at rounders, and tightly
fastened around it was a piece of thin twine, the strong, light string
we used for kites. The twine hung out of the window, and I knew that
Mercer had thrown it up, and the second time sent it right in at the
open sash,--no difficult task for him, as he was one of the most skilful
throwers we had in the school, and he could generally hit a boy running
fast when we were engaged in a game, while at cricket, the way in which
he could field a ball, and send it up to the wicket-keeper, made him a
special acquisition in a game.

"I'm not going to be bribed into silence!" I cried; "I'd sooner
starve;" and, going quickly to the window, I hurled the ball down,
before drawing back, and then approaching the opening again to peer down
from behind one of the white dimity curtains, where, unseen myself, I
could watch Mercer slowly winding up the string till the indiarubber
ball reached his hands, when, after a doleful look up, he ducked down
behind the bushes with the school bag and walked cautiously away.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

Human nature is a curious thing, and the older one grows the more
strange and wonderful it seems. There was I watching Tom Mercer from
the window, and the minute before I felt as if I would have given
anything to have him there alone with our jackets off, to put in force
the old sergeant's teaching, knowing that I could in my passion nearly
knock his head off. The next minute, as I saw him walk dejectedly away
with his head down, evidently bitterly hurt and disappointed, I found
myself sorry for him, and wanting to call him back.

And this was from no desire to partake of the good things he had, I was
perfectly sure, in the bag, for in my misery I had no appetite or desire