o-morrow."

He went off sadly to bed, and hardly once remembered, that _he_ too
would come in for certain punishment the next day.

CHAPTER IV

MR. ROSE AND BRIGSON

"Raro antecedentem scelestum
Deseruit pede Poena claudo."--HOR.

After prayers the next morning Dr. Rowlands spoke to his boarders on the
previous day's discovery, and in a few forcible vivid words set before
them, the enormity of the offence. He ended by announcing that the boys
who were caught would be birched,--"except the elder ones, Bull and
Brigson, who will bring me one hundred lines every hour of the
half-holidays till further notice. There are some," he said, "I am well
aware, who, though present yesterday, were not detected. I am sorry for
it, for _their_ sakes; they will be more likely to sin again. In cases
like this, punishment is a blessing, and impunity a burden." On leaving
the room he bade Eric follow him into his study. Eric obeyed, and stood
before the head-master with downcast eyes.

"Williams," he said, "I have had a great regard for you, and felt a deep
interest in you from the day I first saw you, and knew your excellent
parents. At one time I had conceived great hopes of your future course,
and your abilities seemed likely to blossom into noble fruit. But you
fell off greatly, and grew idle and careless. At last an event happened,
in which for a time you acted worthily of yourself, and which seemed to
arouse you from your negligence and indifference. All my hopes in you
revived; but as I continued to watch your course (more closely, perhaps,
than you supposed), I observed with pain that those hopes must be again
disappointed. It needs but a glance at your countenance to be sure that
you are not so upright or right-minded a boy as you were two years ago.
I can judge only from your outward course; but I deeply fear, Williams,
I deeply fear, that in _other_ respects also you are going the down-hill
road. And what am I to think now, when on the _same_ morning, you and
your little brother _both_ come before me for such serious and heavy
faults? I cannot free you from blame even for _his_ misdoings, for you
are his natural guardian here; I am only glad that you were not involved
with him in that charge."

"Let _me_ bear the punishment, sir, instead of him," said Eric, by a
sudden impulse; "for I misled him, and was there myself."

Dr. Rowlands paced the room in deep sorrow. "You, Williams! on the verge
of the sixth