njecture, retired to their different rooms.

"What do you think he'll do to us?" asked Eric.

"I don't know," said Duncan uneasily; "flog us, for one thing, that's
certain. I'm so sorry about that basin, Eric; but it's no good fretting.
We've had our cake, and now we must pay for it, that's all."

Erie's cogitations began to be unpleasant, when the door opened, and
somebody stole noiselessly in.

"Who's there?"

"Upton. I've come to have a chat. The Doctor's like a turkey-cock in
sight of a red handkerchief. Never saw him in such a rage."

"Why, what's he been saying?" asked Eric, as Upton came and took a seat
on his bed.

"Oh! he's been rowing us like six o'clock," said Upton, "about 'moral
responsibility,' 'abetting the follies of children,' 'forgetting our
position in the school,' and I don't know what all; and he ended by
asking who'd been in the dormitories. Of course I confessed the soft
impeachment, whereon he snorted 'Ha! I suspected so. Very well, Sir, you
don't know how to use a study; you shall be deprived of it till the end
of term.'"

"Did he really, Horace?" said Eric. "And it's all my doing that you've
got into the scrape. Do forgive me."

"Bosh! My dear fellow," said Upton, "it's twice as much my fault as
yours; and, after all, it was only a bit of fun. It's rather a bore
losing the study, certainly; but never mind, we shall see all the more
of each other. Good night; I must be off."

Next morning, prayers were no sooner over than Dr. Rowlands said to the
boys, "Stop! I have a word to say to you"

"I find that there was the utmost disorder in the dormitories yesterday
evening. All the candles were relighted at forbidden hours, and the
noise made was so great that it was heard through the whole building. I
am grieved that I cannot leave you, even for a few hours, without your
taking such advantage of my absence; and that the upper boys, so far
from using their influence to prevent these infractions of discipline,
seem inclined rather to join in them themselves. On this occasion I have
punished Upton, by depriving him of a privilege which he has abused; and
as I myself detected Duncan and Williams, they will be flogged in the
library at twelve. But I now come to the worst part of the proceeding.
Somebody had been reckless enough to try and prevent surprise by the
dangerous expedient of putting a tin basin against the iron door. The
consequence was, that I was severely hurt, and _might_ have be