ginal members of the Upper
Fourth who had not been called upon to "come up higher" still clung to
their old position at the bottom of the class, while the front benches
were filled by their more industrious schoolfellows who had earned
promotion. This state of affairs was not altogether pleasing to some
of the old hands. In Garston's opinion, the ideal Form was one which
would have no top, and where everybody would be bottom; and when the
first week's "order" was read out, he remarked, concerning those
new-comers who had won the posts of honour, that it was "like their
blessed cheek," and that some of them wanted a licking. Teal was
entirely at one with his chum in this opinion, and showed his approval
of the latter's sentiments by laying violent hands upon the person of
Hollis, the head boy, making a playful pretence of wringing his neck,
and then kicking his bundle of books down a flight of stairs. Hollis,
a weakly, short-sighted youth, threatened to complain to Mr. Rowlands;
which course of action, as may be supposed, did not tend to increase
his popularity with his new classmates.

The very next morning the dogs of war broke loose. The boys were
construing the portion of Virgil which had been set them overnight.
Garston, who came last, had floundered about for a few moments among
the closing lines, giving vent to a few incoherent sputterings, and
every one was impatiently awaiting the first tinkle of the bell.

"Yes, Garston," said Mr. Rowlands, "that's certainly up to your usual
form--quite a brilliant display; I'll give you naught. Let me see: I
set the lesson to the end of the page, and told you to go further if
you could; has any one done any more?"

"I have, sir," said Hollis; "shall I go on?"

The master nodded, Hollis proceeded, and Valentine, who stood second,
also followed in turn with a continuation of the translation. He had
only got through a couple of lines when the bell rang, and the class
was dismissed. Hardly had the door closed behind them, when Rosher and
Teal charged along the passage and seized hold of Valentine and Hollis.
The other boys crowded round in a circle.

"Look here, my good chap," said Teal, "in future you'll have to drop
that; d'you hear?"

"Drop what?"

"Why, doing more work than what's set."

"But why shouldn't I?" said Hollis. "There's no harm in it; he didn't
give us any marks."

"You young fool! don't you see that if you do more than what's set,
he'll think