o masters had left amid the universal regret of the boys and of their
colleagues, and their places had been filled up by younger, less able,
and less experienced men.

And worse than this, Dr Lane, soon after the term began, was taken
seriously ill, and was ordered to the German baths for two months,
during which his work was done by another master, who had not the same
influence. From all which causes, this half-year at Saint Winifreds was
the most turbulent, the most riotous, and the most unhappy, ever known
in that honourable and ancient school.

So little Charlie Evson soon found reason to revise and modify his
opinion, that Saint Winifred's--as he _then_ saw it--was jollier than
even Semlyn itself. His name had been entered in the list of Mr
Percival's house, before it was known that he was going to leave.
Walter liked Mr Percival so much better than he did his own tutor, Mr
Robertson, and had experienced from him so much more kindness, that he
thought it would be an advantage for Charlie to be placed directly under
so wise and kind a friend; and Mr Evson, afraid that his little son
would be quite overshadowed by his elder brother, and that Walter's
influence, which was very transcendent over Charlie's mind, would make
him too dependent on another, and prevent him from developing his own
natural character, was by no means averse to the arrangement. But since
Mr Percival had left, Charlie, with the other boys in the house, was
handed over to the charge of Mr Noel, a new master, who had to win his
way and learn his work, neither of which he succeeded in doing until he
had committed many mistakes.

In this house were Kenrick and Mackworth--Kenrick, as monitor, was in
some measure responsible for the character of the house, and he had
Charlie as one of his fags. At this time, as I have already observed
with sorrow, Kenrick's influence was not only useless for good, but was
even positively bad. There was _no_ other monitor who did not try to be
of some use to his fags; many of the monitors, by quiet kindnesses and
useful hints, by judicious help and unselfish sympathy, were of most
real service to the boys who nominally "fagged" for them, but who, in
point of fact, were required to do nothing except taking an occasional
message, seeing that the study fires did not go out, and carrying up the
tea and breakfast for a week each, in order of rotation. Few Saint
Winifred's boys would have hesitated to admit that they