es.

"This must never be," exclaimed Ernest, one day, when he had
accidentally heard Barber abusing Ellis, and the latter had walked away
without retorting or attempting a defence.

"Your friends, my dear Ellis, must for their own sakes, as well as for
yours, insist on your taking notice of what that fellow says, both of
you and to you. We must bring him to an explanation, and clear up the
mystery. We are certain, as I have often assured you, that his
treatment of you is undeserved; and why should he go on insinuating all
sorts of things against you, and not dare to speak out?"

"Oh, do not push things to extremities," answered Ellis, and the tears
almost came into his eyes. "That can do me no good. Barber does not
act generously towards me, but I think that he believes that he has the
right to abuse me; and if he really thought me guilty of the crime of
which I am accused, he would certainly be right in not associating with
me."

Ernest was not satisfied with this reply, and Ellis's behaviour
afterwards was so strange, he thought, towards him, that when he and
Buttar talked the matter over together, they could not help allowing a
shade of suspicion to creep over their own minds that all was not right.
They tried not to let Ellis discover it, but he was too keen-sighted
and sensitive not at once to perceive that their feelings towards him
were changed, and that made him, in spite of all they could do, retire
more than ever away from them and into himself.

The weather continued so cold that the ordinary games could not be
played with any satisfaction, and none but those requiring a good deal
of bodily exercise were in vogue. Lemon, and some of the more actively
disposed fellows, determined to get up a game of football, though it was
generally played at our school late in the autumn. There were plenty of
boys ready to join in it, but the chief question was to decide who
should form the sides. A number of the older boys were thought of, but
they were not popular, or not active enough, or did not care enough
about the game. At last it was decided to offer the command of one side
to Ernest Bracebridge. It was a high honour, considering the time he
had been at school. He could not, nor did he wish to refuse it. He
consulted Buttar, who of course agreed to be on his side, whom they
should select. They asked Bouldon, and Gregson, and several others
among their immediate friends, and then began to pick out othe