for?" he said, with flashing eyes.

"For your conceit in laughing at me when I was caned."

Eric stamped. "I did nothing of the kind, and you know it as well as I
do."

"What! I'm a liar, am I? O we shall take this kind of thing out of you,
you young cub--take that;" and a heavier blow followed.

"You brutal cowardly bully," shouted Eric; and in another moment he
would have sprung upon him. It was lucky for him that he did not, for
Barker was three years older than he, and very powerful. Such an attack
would hare been most unfortunate for him in every way. But at this
instant some boys hearing the quarrel ran up, and Russell among them.

"Hallo, Barker," said one, "what's up?"

"Why, I'm teaching this new fry to be less bumptious, that's all."

"Shame!" said Russell, as he saw the mark on Eric's cheek; "what a
fellow you are, Barker. Why couldn't you leave him alone for his first
day, at any rate?"

"What's that to you? I'll kick you too, if you say much."

"Cave, cave!" whispered half a dozen voices, and instantly the knot of
boys dispersed in every direction, as Mr. Gordon was seen approaching.
He had caught a glimpse of the scene without understanding it, and
seeing the new boy's red and angry face, he only said, as he passed by,
"What, Williams! fighting already? Take care."

This was the cruellest cut of all. "So," thought Eric, "a nice
beginning! it seems both boys and masters are against me;" and very
disconsolately he walked to pick up his cap.

The boys were all dispersed in the play-ground at different games, and
as he went home he was stopped perpetually, and had to answer the usual
questions, "What's your name? Are you a boarder or a day scholar? What
form are you in?" Eric expected all this, and it therefore did not annoy
him. Under any other circumstances, he would have answered cheerfully
and frankly enough; but now he felt miserable at his morning's
rencontre, and his answers were short and sheepish, his only desire
being to get away as soon as possible. It was an additional vexation to
feel sure that his manner did not make a favorable impression.

Before he had got out of the play ground, Russell ran up to him. "I'm
afraid you won't like this, or think much of us, Williams," he said.
"But never mind. It'll only last a day or two, and the fellows are not
so bad as they seem; except that Barker. I'm sorry you've come across
him, but it can't be helped."

It was the first kind word he had