just now to do your duty and not be
ashamed of it."

"You've certainly required _that_ kind of pluck to bear you up lately,
Monty," said Owen, looking up from his books.

"Pluck!" said Montagu, scornfully; "you seem to me to think it consists
in lowering yourself down to the level of that odious Brigson, and
joining hand and glove with the dregs of the school."

"Dregs of the school! Upon my word, you're cool, to speak of any of my
associates in that way," said Eric, now thoroughly angry.

"Associates!" retorted Montagu, hotly; "pretty associates! How do you
expect anything good to go on, when fellows high in the school like you
have such dealings with the refined honorable Brigson, and the exemplary
intellectual Wildney?"

"You're a couple of confounded muffs," shouted Eric, banging the door,
and flinging into his own study again without farther reply.

"Hav'n't you been a little hard on him, considering the row he's in?"
asked Owen.

Montagu's head was resting on his hand as he bent over the table.
"Perhaps I have, indeed. But who could help it, Owen, in the present
state of things? Yes, you're right," he said, after a pause; "_this_
wasn't the time to speak. I'll go and talk to him again. But how utterly
changed he is!"

He found Eric on the stairs going down to bed with an affectation of
noise and gaiety. He ran after him, and said--

"Forgive me my passion and sarcasm, Williams. You know I am apt to
express myself strongly." He could not trust himself to say more, but
held out his hand.

Eric got red, and hesitated for a moment.

"Come, Eric, it isn't _wholly_ my fault, is it, that we are not so warm
to each other as we were when ..."

"Oh, Monty, Monty!" said Eric, softened by the allusion; and warmly
grasped his friend's proffered hand.

"Oh, Eric!"

The two shook hands in silence, and as they left each other they felt
that while things continued thus their friendship could not last. It was
a sad thought for both.

Next morning Wildney received a severe flogging, but gained great
reputation by not betraying his companion, and refusing to drop the
least hint as to their means of getting out, or their purpose in
visiting Ellan. So the secret of the bar remained undiscovered, and when
any boy wanted to get out at night--(unhappily the trick now became
common enough)--he had only to break a pane of glass in that particular
window, which, as it was in the passage, often remained unmended and
undi