"Now, Doctor Browne, if you please," said my uncle in his sharp, quick,
military way, "we are all attention, and want to hear the truth of this
miserable business before the boy himself."

"Certainly, Colonel Seaborough," said the Doctor rather nervously, but
he spoke firmly directly after. "I thought it my duty first to ask you
to come, as I naturally was most loth to proceed to extremities."

"Naturally, sir, naturally," said my uncle sharply. "A prisoner's
allowed a fair court-martial, eh, Rye?"

"Yes, yes, of course," said the General, and he opened a gold box and
took snuff loudly.

As soon as I could tear my eyes from my mother's, I looked across at the
three boys defiantly: at Burr major, who turned his eyes away uneasily;
at Dicksee, who was looking at me with a sneering grin upon his
countenance, a grin which faded directly into a very uncomfortable look,
and he too turned away, and whispered something to Burr major; but by
this time my eyes were fixed fiercely upon Mercer, who met my gaze with
a pitiful expression, which I read directly to mean, "Don't, pray don't
say I did it. They'd never forgive me. They will you. Pray, pray,
don't tell!"

I turned from him with a choking sensation of anger rising in my throat,
and then stood listening, as all the old business was gone through, much
as it had been up in the loft, but with this exception, that in the
midst of Burr major's statement the General gazed at him so fiercely
that my school-fellow faltered, and quite blundered through his answers.

"One moment, Doctor Browne," said the General. "Here, you, sir; you
don't like Frank Burr, do you?"

"Well, sir, I--"

"Answer my question, sir. You don't like him, do you?"

"N-no, sir."

"Thrashed you well, didn't he, for bullying?"

"I had an encounter with Burr junior, sir."

"Yes, and he thrashed you well, I know."

"I beg your pardon, Sir Hawkhurst," said the Doctor warmly. "My pupil
here, Burr major, has, I am well aware, been exceedingly tyrannical to
his schoolfellows, and when it reached my ears by a side wind that he
had been soundly thrashed by his fellow pupil here, I must own to having
been glad; but as his tutor it behoves me to say that he is a boy of
strictly honourable feelings, and I do not believe he would speak as he
has done if he did not believe the truth of all he has said."

"Humph!" said the General. "Quite right, Doctor, quite right. I'm
afraid I was unjust."

Th