minutes of his play-time to talk to
him, and would ask to be allowed to cut the pencil that was employed so
constantly in ruling the ciphering books; and when his flowers were in
bloom, a half-open rosebud was usually presented to Mr. Garthorpe to
put in his button-hole on Sunday morning. The poor usher loved Louis
as warmly as any one else in that house, nor would he have believed
that "that good lad," as he called him, could have spent a great part
of an evening in laughing at practical jokes played off on him, though
Louis could not yet be prevailed upon to take part in them.

The next few days were spent as might be expected. Louis had now put
himself under the guidance of some of the worst boys in the school,
and the consequence was (for the downward path is easy) the neglect of
all that was good, and the connivance at, if not actual participation
in all that was wrong. His place was lost, his lessons so ill prepared,
that, as formerly, he was kept in day after day, and Casson, his chief
adviser, persuaded him that Mr. Danby was unjust and tyrannical, and
instigated him to impertinence as a retaliation. Louis was miserable,
for miserable must he be who sins against light.

It was not long before Dr. Wilkinson became aware of a change in Louis'
conduct, and he took an early opportunity of speaking very seriously to
him on the subject. Louis was very humble, and longed to throw open all
his troubles to his master, the only person who had spoken kindly and
sensibly to him since his disgrace, yet foolishly afraid to declare the
whole truth to him, especially as, by the doctor's recommendation to him
to follow the example of his friends Hamilton and Clifton, he found that
his master was not aware that Hamilton was so much displeased with him.
Unhappily, Dr. Wilkinson did not know of Louis' intimacy with Casson,
nor had Casson been long enough with him to enable him to know more of
him than as an idle, troublesome dunce. The doctor's admonitions were
so far beneficial to Louis, that besides producing decidedly better
behavior for a few days, they were instrumental in restraining him
afterwards from the commission of many things which might have been
both hurtful to his well-doing and future peace of mind; but unassisted
by prayerful efforts on Louis' part, they could go no further than this;
and as he had not strength of mind to shake off his evil companions, he
soon fell back into much of his idle, giddy habits, and wa