demn, that I can allow him no longer to
be an inmate of this school. To-morrow morning I shall publicly expel
him. Retire till then to your respective rooms."

Although on ordinary occasions the Doctor had a great flow of language,
he was very brief when any serious matter was under discussion, as if he
was afraid to trust his feelings in words. No one in the school had an
opportunity of again speaking to Blackall. He was supposed to have
passed the night in the solitary room, as it was called. The next
morning, after breakfast, he was brought into the school-room between
two of the masters, and there in due form publicly expelled the school.

"Sir," said the Doctor, "from the numerous charges brought against you,
and which you do not attempt to disprove, you will, if you do not alter
your conduct, be a disgrace to any community in which you may be found.
You have been constantly guilty of drunkenness and tyranny, blasphemy
and swearing, idleness, and utter negligence of all religious and moral
principle. I deeply regret that I was not sooner informed of your
conduct; and I humbly acknowledge that I am much to blame in not having
more minutely inquired into the character of every boy under my charge.
I trust that you are an exception to the general rule, and that there
are no others like you. Lead the unhappy lad away."

Soon after this a post-chaise came to the door; Blackall with one of the
masters was seen to get into it, and from that day forward no one ever
heard anything positively about him. His conduct was undoubtedly worse
than that of any of his companions. The way he had been punished
utterly put a stop to anything like fagging, and even brought bullying
into very great discredit.

I have not mentioned Ernest Bracebridge since he had been wounded in so
cowardly and treacherous a way by Blackall. The reports which flew
about the school proved to have been somewhat exaggerated. The surgeon
very naturally ordered that he should be kept quiet, but he had not said
that there was any danger. He speedily stopped the bleeding, though, at
the same time, he thought it safest to sit up with him, to watch that
the wound did not break out afresh and allow him to bleed to death. In
a few days even the slightest danger which might have existed was over;
and in the course of a week he was able once more to resume his place in
school. The Doctor had a good deal of conversation with him with
respect to his con