the learned, the clever, the profound Bliss to
teach _me my_ duty," he said, with a proud sneer; "what business have
you to abuse the house, because it is not full of young ninnies like
Evson? You're no monitor of mine, let me tell you."

"You may sneer, Kenrick, at my being stupid, if you like; but, for all
your cleverness, I wouldn't be you for something; and if you won't
interfere, as you ought, _I will_, if I can." And as Bliss said this,
with clear flaming anger, and fixed on Kenrick his eyes, which were
lighted up with honest purpose, Kenrick thought he had never seen him
look so handsome, or so fine a fellow. "Yes, even _he_ is superior to
me now," he thought, with a sigh, as Bliss left the room. Poor Ken--
there was no unhappier boy at Saint Winifred's; as he ate and ate of
those ashy fruits of sin, they grew more and more dusty and bitter to
his parched taste; as he drank of that napthaline river of wayward
pride, it scorched his heart and did _not_ quench his thirst.

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

MARTYRDOM.

"Since thou so deeply dost enquire,
I will instruct thee briefly why no dread
Hinders my entrance here. Those things alone
Are to be feared whence evil may proceed,
Nought else, for nought is terrible beside."

Carey's _Dante_.

Gradually the persecutions to which Charlie was subjected mainly turned
on one point. His tormentors were so far tired of bullying him, that
they would have left him in comparative peace if he would have yielded
one point--which was this.

The Noelites were accustomed now and then to have a grand evening
"spread" as they called it, and when they had finished this supper,
which was usually supplied by Dan, they generally began smoking, an
amusement which they could enjoy after the lights were out. The smokers
used to sit in the long corridor, which, as I have said, led to their
dormitory, and the scout was always posted to warn them of approaching
danger; but as they did not begin operations till the master had gone
his nightly rounds, and were very quiet about it, there was not much
danger of their being disturbed. Yet although the windows of the
corridor and dormitory were all left wide open, and every other
precaution was taken, it was impossible to get rid of the fumes of
tobacco so entirely as to avoid all chance of detection. They had,
indeed, bribed the servants to secrecy, but what they feared was being
detected by some master. The Noelites, the