ged to that class:--it was Tooke, to judge by his giggle, and his
pretending to hide his face, as if ashamed. Hugh tossed back the sponge,
so as to hit Tooke on the nose. Then Tooke was angry, and threw it
again, and the sponge passed backwards and forwards several times: for
Hugh was by this time very angry,--boiling with indignation at the
hardship of not being able to learn his lesson, when he really would if
he could. While the sponge was still passing to and fro, Mr. Carnaby's
voice was heard from the far end of the room, desiring Warner, Page,
Davison, and Tooke to be quiet, and let the boys alone till Mr. Tooke
came in, when Mr. Tooke would take his own measures.

Hugh, wondering how Mr. Carnaby knew, at that distance, what was going
on, found that Holt was no longer by his side. In a moment, Holt
returned to his seat, flushed and out of breath. A very slight hiss was
heard from every form near, as he came down the room.

"O! Holt! you have been telling tales!" cried Hugh.

"Telling tales!" exclaimed Holt, in consternation, for Holt knew nothing
of school ways. "I never thought of that. They asked me to tell Mr.
Carnaby that we could not learn our lessons."

"They! Who? I am sure I never asked you."

"No; you did not: but Harvey and Prince did,--and Gillingham. They said
Mr. Carnaby would soon make those fellows quiet; and they told me to
go."

"You hear! They are calling you 'tell-tale.' That will be your name now.
Oh, Holt! you should not have told tales. However, I will stand by you,"
Hugh continued, seeing the terror that Holt was in.

"I meant no harm," said Holt, trembling. "Was not it a shame that they
would not let us learn our lessons?"

"Yes, it was--but----"

At this moment Mr. Tooke entered the room. As he passed the forms, the
boys were all bent over their books, as if they could think of nothing
else. Mr. Tooke walked up the room to his desk, and Mr. Carnaby walked
down the room to _his_ desk; and then Mr. Carnaby said, quite aloud,

"Mr. Tooke, sir."

"Well."

Here Holt sprang from his desk, and ran to the usher and besought him
not to say a word about what Warner's class had been doing. He even hung
on Mr. Carnaby's arm in entreaty; but Mr. Carnaby shook him off, and
commanded him back to his seat. Then the whole school heard Mr. Tooke
told about the wry faces and the mask, and the trouble of the little
boys. Mr. Tooke was not often angry; but when he was, his face grew
white, and h