to his high position
in the school, would alone have been sufficient to gain him a favourable
hearing; but, besides this, he had hitherto come forward so little, that
there was a strong curiosity to see what line he would take, and how he
would be able to speak. There were indeed a few who were most anxious
to silence him as quickly as possible, knowing what effect his words
would be likely to produce; and when he began, they raised several noisy
interruptions; but Kenrick, for very shame, was obliged at first to
demand for him the attention which, after the first sentence or two, his
quiet, conciliatory, and persuasive manner effectually secured.

Reviewing the whole tumultuary discussion, he began by answering
Kenrick. After alluding to the long course of bullying which had been
ended in this manner, he appealed to the common sense of the meeting
whether the thing could be regarded as a mere joke, when they remembered
Eden's tender age and highly susceptible nature? Was it not certain,
and must it not have been obvious to the bullies, that serious, if not
desperately dangerous results _must_ follow? What those results had
been was well-known, and in describing what he had seen of them in the
sickroom only half an hour before, Power made a warm appeal to their
feelings of pity and indignation--an appeal which every one felt to be
manly, and which could not fail of being deeply touching, because it was
both simple and natural.

"Then," said Power, "the next speaker talked about sneaking and
cowardice. Well, those charges had been sufficiently answered by
Whalley, and, indeed, on behalf of his friends Evson and Henderson, he
perhaps need hardly condescend to answer them at all. His friend
Henderson had been long enough among them to need no defence, and if he
_did_, it would be sufficiently supplied by the high courage, of which
they had just seen a specimen. As for Evson, any boy who had given as
many proofs of honour and manliness as _he_ had done during his two
terms at Saint Winifred's, certainly required no one's shield to be
thrown over _him_. Would any of them show their courage by walking
across the Razor on some dark foggy winter's night? and would they find
in the school any other fellow of Evson's age who would not shrink from
standing up in a regular fair fight with another of twice his own
strength and size? Those charges he thought he might throw to the
winds; he was sure that no one believed the