onduct, finding plenty of epithets suitable as he
considered for the occasion, and making the poor lad writhe as he lay
there, hot and panting beneath the undeserved reproaches till he was
quite out of breath; while, to make matters worse, Sam put in a word or
two in a murmuring tone--"He knew how it would be," and "It was of no
use for him to speak," and the like. And all the time Tom's indignation
made him feel more stubbornly determined to hold his peace.

"It's of no use for me to complain," he thought. "Uncle hates me, and
he will not believe, and it's too hard to bear."

"Once for all, sir," cried his uncle, "remember this--if you stay here
there must be a marked improvement in your conduct, both as to your work
at the office and your behaviour in my house. I won't have it--do you
hear? I won't have it. That sulky way too won't go down with me. Here
you, Sam, undress and get to bed, and if he interferes with you again,
call me at once; but if I do come up, unwilling as I should be, I shall
feel called upon, out of my duty to his mother, to read him a very
severe lesson, such as his schoolmaster should have read him years ago.
Now silence, both of you; and as for you, sir, bear in mind what I have
said, for, as you ought to know by this time, I am a man of my word."

The door was shut loudly, and the resounding steps were heard, followed
by the banging of the bedroom door on the next floor.

"There, now you know, bumpkin," said Sam, with a sneering laugh.

Tom sat up in bed as if a spring had been touched.

"You sneak!" he cried.

"What?"

"I say you sneak--you miserable, cowardly sneak!"

"Look here," cried Sam, "you say another word and I'll call the guv'nor,
and you know what he meant; he'll give you a good licking, and serve you
right."

"Oh!" muttered Tom between his teeth, while his cousin went on quietly
undressing.

"That would soon bring you to your senses. I wanted to be friendly with
you, and have just a bit of a game, but you must turn nasty, and it just
serves you right."

"Oh!" muttered Tom again.

"I thought that would quiet you, my lad. He'd bring up his old rattan,
and loosen that stiff hide of yours. There, go to sleep, bumpkin, and
think yourself lucky you got off so well."

A minute later the candle was extinguished, and Sam jumped into bed, to
fall asleep directly, but Tom lay with his head throbbing till the pale
dawn began to creep into the room; and then only did he