gged me, told me himself that he
didn't flog me for using a translation, but for taking it into lesson,
and using it there, when I hadn't learnt a word before I came in. He
said there was no harm in using a translation to get a clew to hard
passages, if you tried all you could first to make them out without."

"Did he, though?" said Tom, "then Arthur must be wrong."

"Of course he is," said Gower, "the little prig! We'll only use the
crib when we can't construe without it. Go ahead, East."

RESULTS OF THE EXPLOSION.

And on this agreement they started: Tom, satisfied with having made
this confession, and not sorry to have a _locus penitentiae_,[6] and
not to be deprived altogether of the use of his old and faithful
friend.

[6] #Locus penitentiae#: a place or opportunity for repentance
or reformation.

The boys went on as usual, each taking a sentence in turn, and the
crib being handed to the one whose turn it was to construe. Of course
Tom couldn't object to this, as was it not simply lying there to be
appealed to in case the sentence should prove too hard altogether for
the construer? But it must be owned that Gower and East did not make
very tremendous exertions to conquer their sentences before having
recourse to its help. Tom, however, with the most heroic virtue and
gallantry rushed into his sentence, searching in a high-minded manner
for nominative and verb, and turning over his dictionary frantically
for the first hard word that stopped him. But in the meantime Gower,
who was bent on getting to fives, would peep quietly into the crib,
and then suggest, "Don't you think this is the meaning?" "I think you
must take it this way, Brown;" and as Tom didn't see his way to not
profiting by these suggestions, the lesson went on about as quickly as
usual, and Gower was able to start for fives'-court within five
minutes of the half-hour.

When Tom and East were left face to face, they looked at one another
for a minute, Tom puzzled and East chock-full of fun, and then burst
into a roar of laughter.

THE ENEMY'S DEFENCE.

"Well, Tom," said East, recovering himself, "I don't see any objection
to the new way. It's about as good as the old one, I think; besides
the advantage it gives one of feeling virtuous, and looking down on
one's neighbors."

Tom shoved his hand into his back hair. "I'm not so sure," said he;
"you two fellows carried me off my legs; I don't really think we tried
one sentence fair