ast asleep.

"Evson! what's all this?" asked the master in astonishment.

Walter, sick and giddy, was in no condition to answer; but the position
of affairs was tolerably obvious.

"Is this _your_ doing?" asked Mr Robertson of Harpour, very sternly,
pointing to Walter.

"He hit me first."

"Liar," said Henderson, glaring up at him.

"Hush, sir; no such language in my presence," said Mr Robertson.
"Cradock, do you mean to say that a big fellow like you could stand by,
and see Harpour thus cruelly misuse a boy not nearly his size."

"It was a fight, sir."

"Fight!" said Mr Robertson; "look at those two boys, and don't talk
nonsense to me."

"I oughtn't to have let them fight, I know," said Cradock; "and I wish,
sir, you'd put Harpour and Jones into another room, they're always
bullying Eden, and it was for him that Evson fought."

"Harpour," said Mr Robertson, "you are absolutely despicable; a viler
figure than you present at this moment could not be conceived. I shall
move you to another dormitory, where some monitor can restrain your
brutality; and, meanwhile, I confine you to gates for a month, and you
will bring me up one hundred lines every day till further notice."

He was leaving the room, but catching sight of Walter, he returned, and
said kindly, "Evson, my poor boy, I'm afraid you're sadly hurt; I'm
truly sorry for you; you seem to have been behaving in a very noble way,
and I honour you. Henderson, I think you'd better go with him to Dr
Keith," he continued; for Walter, though he heard what was said, was too
much hurt and shaken to speak a word.

"Come, Walter," said Henderson, gently helping him to rise; "I hope
you're not very much hurt, old fellow. That brute Harpour won't trouble
you again, anyhow; nor his parasite Jones. Lean on my arm. Franklin,
you come and give Walter your arm, too."

They helped him to the sickroom, for he could barely trail his legs
after him. Dr Keith laid him down quietly on a sofa, put some arnica
to the bruises on his face, and told him to lie still and go quietly to
sleep. "He is not very much hurt," he said, in answer to the inquiries
of the boys; "but the fall he has had is quite sufficiently serious in
its consequences to render absolute rest necessary to him for some days.
You may come and see him sometimes."

"And now, you fellow, Harpour," said Henderson, re-entering the
dormitory; "as you've knocked up Evson, and half killed Eden, _I'll_
tell Somer