aling in by the back
entrance.

"I wonder where Arthur can be," said Tom at last, looking at his watch:
"why, it's nearly half-past nine already."

"Oh, he is comfortably at supper with the eleven, forgetful of his
oldest friends," said the master. "Nothing has given me greater
pleasure," he went on, "than your friendship for him; it has been the
making of you both."

"Of me, at any rate," answered Tom; "I should never have been here now
but for him. It was the luckiest chance in the world that sent him to
Rugby, and made him my chum."

"Why do you talk of lucky chances?" said the master; "I don't know that
there are any such things in the world; at any rate there was neither
luck nor chance in that matter."

Tom looked at him inquiringly, and he went on. "Do you remember when the
Doctor lectured you and East at the end of one half-year, when you were
in the shell, and had been getting into all sorts of scrapes?"

"Yea, well enough," said Tom; "it was the half-year before Arthur came."

"Exactly so," answered the master. "Now, I was with him a few minutes
afterwards, and he was in great stress about you two. And, after some
talk, we both agreed that you in particular wanted some object in the
School beyond games and mischief; for it was quite clear that you never
would make the regular school work your first object. And so the Doctor,
at the beginning of the next half-year, looked out the best of the new
boys, and separated you and East, and put the young boy into your study,
in the hope that when you had somebody to lean on you, you would begin
to stand a little steadier yourself, and get manliness and
thoughtfulness. And I can assure you he has watched the experiment ever
since with great satisfaction. Ah! not one of you boys will ever know
the anxiety you have given him, or the care with which he has watched
over every step in your school lives."

Up to this time, Tom had never wholly given in to or understood the
Doctor. At first he had thoroughly feared him. For some years, as I have
tried to show, he had learnt to regard him with love and respect, and to
think him a very great and wise and good man. But, as regarded his own
position in the School, of which he was no little proud, Tom had no idea
of giving any one credit for it but himself; and, truth to tell, was a
very self-conceited young gentleman on the subject. He was wont to boast
that he had fought his own way fairly up the school, and had never ma