d conversation, were
beginning to leave their places.

"Somers wishes me to add," said Dimock, "that all the monitors and many
of the sixth and fifth forms wish to express our best thanks to Power
for the exceedingly honourable and fearless way in which he this morning
maintained the rights and duties which belong to us. You younger
fellows know very well that we monitors extremely dislike to interfere,
that we do so only on the rarest occasions, and that we are always most
anxious to avoid caning. You know that we never resort to it unless we
are obliged to do so by the most flagrant offences, which would
otherwise sap the honour and character of the school. Let us all be
united and work together for the good of Saint Winifred's. Don't let
any interested parties lead you to believe that we either do or wish to
tyrannise. Our authority is for your high and direct advantage; I
appeal to you whether you do not know it?"

"Yes, yes, Dimock," answered many voices; and before they streamed out
of the ball, they gave "three cheers for the monitors," which were so
heartily responded to, that the hissing of Harpour, Kenrick, and others,
only raised a laugh, which filled to the very brim the bitter cup of
hate and indignation which Kenrick had been forced that day to drink.
To be addressed like that before the whole school--snubbed, reproved,
threatened--it was intolerable; that he, Kenrick, high in the school,
brilliant, promising, successful, accustomed only to flattery and
praise, should be publicly set down among a rabble of lower boys--it
made him mad to think of it.

"A nice tell-tale mess you've made of this business, Power," he said
savagely, the red spot still lingering on his cheek, as he confronted
his former friend; "I hope you're ashamed of yourself."

"I, Ken? no."

"Then you ought to be."

"Honestly, Ken, who ought to be most ashamed--you, the advocate of
Harpour and his set, or I, who merely defended my best friend for
behaving most honourably--as he always does?"

"_Always_?" sneered Kenrick.

Power turned on him his clear bright eye, and said nothing for a moment;
but then he laid his arm across his shoulder in the old familiar manner,
and said, "You are not happy now, Ken, as you used to be."

"Why the devil not?"

Power shook his head. "Because your heart is nobler than your acts;
your nature truer than your conduct; and _that_ is and will be your
punishment. Why do you nurse this bad feel