somehow, I'll pay him out, depend upon
it."

"Recte si possis si non quocunque modo," said Somers, the head of the
school, whose fag Walter was, and who, passing by at the moment, caught
the last sentence; "what is the excitement among you small boys?"

"The old story--pitching into Paton," said Kenrick indifferently, and
rather contemptuously; for he was a _protege_ of Somers, and felt
annoyed that he should see Walter's unreasonable display, the more so as
Somers had asked him already, "why he was so much with that idle new
fellow who was always being placed lag in his form?"

"What's it all about?" asked Somers of Kenrick.

"Because he gets lines for missing his grammar, I suppose." There was
something in the tone which was especially offensive to Walter; for it
sounded as if Kenrick wanted to show him the cold shoulder before his
_great_ friend, the head of the school.

"Oh, _that_ all? Well, my dear fellow, the remedy's easy; work at it a
little harder;" and Somers walked on, humming a tune.

"I wonder what he calls _harder_," said Walter, shaking his fist; "when
I first came I used to get up quite early in the morning, and learn it
till I was half-stupid; I wonder whether he ever did as much?"

"Well, but it's no good abusing Paton," said Kenrick; "of course, if you
don't know the lesson, he concludes you haven't learnt it."

"Thank you for nothing, Kenrick," said Walter curtly; "come along,
Flip."

Kenrick was vexed; he was conscious of having shown a little coolness
and want of sympathy; and he looked anxiously after Henderson and Walter
as they walked away.

Presently he started up, and ran after them. "Don't be offended,
Walter, my boy," he said, seizing his hand. "I didn't mean to be cold
just now; but, really, I don't see why you should be so very wrathful
with Paton; what can a master do if one fails in a lesson two or three
times running? he must punish one, I suppose."

"Hang Paton," said Walter, shaking off his hand rather angrily, for he
was now thoroughly out of temper.

"O, very well, Evson," said Kenrick, whose chief fault was an intense
pride, which took fire on the least provocation, and which made him take
umbrage at the slightest offence; "catch me making an advance to you
again. Henderson, you left your book on the grass;" and turning on his
heel, he walked slowly away--heavy at heart, for he liked Walter better
than any other boy in the school, and was half ashamed to break w