titter. The boy heard it just as he was going out of
the room, and it annoyed him, and called to arms all his proud and
dogged obstinacy. Pretending to have forgotten something, he walked
conceitedly back to Wildney, and whispered to him, "I shan't go if he
chooses to speak like that."

A red flush passed over Mr. Rose's cheek; he took two strides to Eric,
and laid the cane sharply once across his back.

Eric was not quite himself, or he would not have acted as he had done.
His potations, though not deep, had, with the exciting events of the
evening, made his head giddy, and the stroke of the cane, which he had
not felt now for two years, roused him to madness. He bounded up, sprang
towards Mr. Rose, and almost before he knew what he was about, had
wrenched the cane out of his hands, twisted it violently in the middle
until it broke, and flung one of the pieces furiously into the fire.

For one instant, boy and master--Eric Williams and Mr. Rose--stood
facing each other amid breathless silence, the boy panting and
passionate, with his brain swimming, and his heart on fire; the master
pale, grieved, amazed beyond measure, but perfectly self-collected.

"After that exhibition," said Mr. Rose, with cold and quiet dignity,
"you had better leave the room."

"Yes, I had," answered Eric bitterly; "there's your cane." And, flinging
the other fragment at Mr. Rose's head, he strode blindly out of the
room, sweeping books from the table, and overturning several boys in his
way. He then banged the door with all his force, and rushed up into
his study.

Duncan was there, and remarking his wild look and demeanor, asked, after
a moment's awkward silence, "Is anything the matter, Williams?"

"Williams!" echoed Eric with a scornful laugh; "yes, that's always the
way with a fellow when he's in trouble. I always know what's coming when
you begin to leave off calling me by my Christian name."

"Very well, then," said Duncan, good-humoredly, "what's the matter,
Eric?"

"Matter?" answered Brie, pacing up and down the little room with an
angry to-and-fro like a caged wild beast, and kicking everything which
came in his way. "Matter? hang you all, you are all turning against me,
because you are a set of muffs, and----"

"Take care!" said Duncan; but suddenly he caught Eric's look, and
stopped.

"And I've been breaking Rose's cane over his head, because he had the
impudence to touch, me with it, and----"

"Eric, you're not yours