hand, that's all. Thanks."

He was quite unnecessarily grateful. His idea of middling warm, I could
not help thinking, was not very different from hot. And yet I felt I
could stand it better from him than from most.

"Some chaps," said he, after returning me the cane to put back in its
place, "would say that this sort of thing pained them more than it does
you. It didn't me. I fancy you felt it more than I did. Anyhow,
you'll remember what I said, won't you? Pridgin's not half a bad chap."

"If you want any one to fag for you. Tempest--"

I began.

"Oh, I've got one--a beauty--young Trimble; he sat next to you at
register to-day. You'll hit it off with him to a T. Talking of tea, by
the way, it's time we showed up at Pridgin's. Come along, and I'll
introduce you."

The reader may not believe it, but my interview with Tempest helped to
knock the nonsense out of me more than any treatment I had yet
undergone. It was not so much the caning (which, by the way, I
afterwards discovered to be a wholly unauthorised proceeding on my old
comrade's part), but his plain advice, and the friendly way in which it
was all given. It made me realise that he really meant to stick by me
and pull me through my troubles, and the sense of his interest in me
made up wonderfully for the loneliness which had been growing on me ever
since I entered Low Heath that morning.

Pridgin, as became a member of the Eleven, received me with dignity
quite devoid of curiosity. He informed Tempest that he considered it
was playing it pretty low down on him to let an idiot like me loose on
him. Still, times were bad, and one must put up with what one could
get.

Whereat I had the good sense to grin appreciatively, and was thereupon
permitted to boil my new master's eggs and stand by the kettle until it
was ready for the tea.

CHAPTER NINE.

ACQUAINTANCES, HIGH AND LOW.

I was at first too much concerned in my important culinary occupations
to bestow much attention on the company. It was only when the eggs were
boiled and the teapot filled that I had leisure to make a few
observations.

The host, Pridgin, my new master, was not a very formidable sort of
person at first blush. True he was in the Eleven and a fine all-round
athlete. True he was fairly well up in the Sixth, and one of the boys
Low Heath was proud of. These things did not strike one in beholding
him. What did strike one was his air of lazy humour, which se