d
spectacle, and Ashby, munching up the remains of his roll, was generally
held to have scored. The relief with which he hailed the discovery of
his mistake was so genuine, and the good spirits and appetite the
incident put into him were so imperturbable, as to disarm further
experiment at his expense, and he was left comparatively free to enjoy
the noise and imbibe his first impression of Fellsgarth in his own way.

The other new boy, meanwhile, was not altogether without his
difficulties.

Fisher minor, to which name this ingenuous young gentleman answered,
would probably have been the first to pour contempt on the verdure of
his companion. He had come up to Fellsgarth determined that, in
whatever respect he failed, no one should lightly convict him of being
green. He had wormed out of his brother in the Sixth a few hints of
what was considered the proper thing at Fellsgarth, and these, with the
aid of his own brilliant intellect and reminiscences of what he had read
in the books, served, as he hoped, both to forewarn and forearm him
against all the uncomfortable predicaments into which the ordinary new
boy is apt to fall.

It must be confessed that as he sat and listened to the noise, and
marked how little Fellsgarth appeared to recognise his existence, he
felt a trifle uneasy and nervous. He wasn't sure now that he knew
everything. All these fellows seemed to be so thoroughly at home, and
to know so exactly what to do; he wished he could do the same.

He wished, for instance, he could spin a fork round with his first
finger and thumb while he talked, as Yorke, the captain, was doing. He
did once privately try, while he was not talking, but it was a dismal
failure. The fork fell with a great clatter to the floor and attracted
general attraction his way. He picked the weapon up with as easy an air
as he could assume, whistling _sotto voce_ to himself as he did it, so
as to appear unconcerned.

"Look out, I say; you mustn't whistle at meal-times, it's bad manners,"
said a voice at his side.

He turned round and perceived a pleasant-looking youth of the species
junior, in a red tie and wrist studs to match.

This youth evidently knew what was what at Fellsgarth; and a further
glance at him convinced Fisher minor that he had met him in a good hour.
For all dinner-time he had been exercised as to whether it was the
thing to wear the jacket opened or buttoned. Yorke wore his buttoned,
so did a good many o