will not ask who said, Amen," remarked Ernest in a serious voice.
"But remember, school-fellows, you are mocking, not a poor worm like me,
but God Almighty, our Maker." Saying this, he placed his head on his
pillow.

"A very odd fellow," observed two or three of the boys; "I wonder how he
will turn out."

CHAPTER TWO.

ERNEST'S FIRST DAYS AT SCHOOL.

The next morning, when he got up, Ernest was told, after prayers, to
take his seat on a vacant bench at the bottom of the school, till the
Doctor had time to examine him. He felt rather nervous about his
examination, for he had been led to suppose it a very awful affair. At
last the Doctor called him up and asked him what books he had read.
Ernest ran through a long list; Sir Walter Scott's novels, and Locke on
the Human Understanding, were among them. The Doctor smiled as he
enumerated them.

"I fear that they will not stand you in good stead here, my man; the
books I mean are Greek and Latin books. What have you read of them?"

"None, sir, right through. I know a great number of words, and can put
them together, and papa and I sometimes talk Latin and Greek together,
just as easily as we do French and German and Italian."

"I have no doubt that you will do in the end," observed Doctor Carr. "I
make a rule, however, to put boys who have not read certain books in the
class in which those books are about to be read, and let them work their
way up. I reserve the power of removing a boy up as rapidly as I think
fit, so that if you are diligent I have no doubt that you will rapidly
rise in the school."

Ernest thanked the Doctor, and in the forenoon went up with his new
class. He felt rather ashamed at finding himself among so many little
boys, and still more at the bungling, hesitating way in which they said
their lessons. They were just beginning Caesar. He found that he could
quickly turn it into English, but he took his dictionary that he might
ascertain the exact meaning of each word. The Doctor called up his
class that day, though he generally heard only the upper classes.
Ernest began at the bottom, but before the lesson was over he had won
his way to the top of the class.

"Very good indeed, Bracebridge," said the Doctor with an approving
smile; "you may read as much Caesar as you like every day. I will beg
Mr Johnson to hear you, and when you have got through it you shall be
moved into the next class."

Many of the boys thought this a very