the wall-paper. Up
one stripe I went, down the next, and up the third, till I had
covered the whole of one wall. Then I tossed myself on to my other
side with an audible groan that gave me but little relief, since
there was no one to hear. The day wore on, and the long streaks of
light worked their way round the room, grew ruddier, and climbed up
the wall.

Oh, wearisome, wearisome afternoon! I began to sing quietly to
myself such songs as I knew: "Rule, Brittania," "God save the King,"
and "A Life on the Ocean Wave." This I gave up at last, and thought
out _corking_ replies that I might have made to the prefects, had my
wit been readier.

"Ding-ding-ding!" That was tea. Would Doe be any less happy when he
saw my vacant place, and wonder if I were very ill? How was Penny
feeling, who had lifted up his heel against me? Might he, together
with Stanley and his colleagues, think me dying! What would Stanley
and the prefects do to Doe for his flagrant breach of their edict?
Perhaps at this moment he was being tried by the great Stanley and
his Tribunal. Perhaps even now they had him bent over a chair and
were giving him a Prefects' Whacking. At any rate, I wished he would
walk in his sleep or do something that would bring him to this
monotonous sick-room. Why shouldn't he? Like me, he had been immured
indoors for ten days; like me, also, he had reasons for being
unhealthily excited.

"Ding-ding-ding!" I had closed my eyes when this bell sounded. It
meant Preparation, so it must be getting dark. I would open my eyes
and see. I did so, and saw nothing except darkness, which made me
think I must have dozed. The sudden view of the darkness frightened
me, for I remembered the terror of the preceding night and that,
before many hours, the whole world would be silenced in sleep, while
I might be wandering in the fearful cellars. At the thought my lips
formed the words: "O God, don't make me wake again in the Old
Locker Room. O God, don't. I wish I had somebody to talk to."

As I mechanically uttered this prayer, I began to feel rather
strongly that, if I were going to ask God to make this arrangement
for me, I ought to do something for Him. Clearly I must get out of
bed and say my prayers properly. So I stepped on to the floor,
reeling dizzily from my enforced recumbence, and knelt by the side
of the bed. Falling into prayers that I knew by heart, and scarcely
heeding what I was saying, I prayed (as my mother had taught me to