ith him
about such a trifle.

Henderson, apart from his somewhat frivolous and nonsensical tone, was a
well-meaning fellow. When he was walking with Walter, he had intended
to chaff him about his sudden burst of ill-temper, and jest away his
spirit of revenge; but he saw that poor Walter was in no mood for jokes,
and he quite lacked the moral courage to give good advice in a sober or
serious way, or to recommend any course _because_ it was right. This,
at present, was beyond Henderson's standard of good, so he left Walter
and went back for his book.

And Walter, flinging into the schoolroom, found several spirits seven
times more wicked than himself, and fed the fire of his wrath with the
fuel of unbounded abuse, mockery, and scorn of Mr Paton, in which he
was heartily abetted by the others, who hailed all indications that
Walter was likely to become one of themselves. And that evening,
instead of attempting to get up any of his work, Walter wasted the whole
time of preparation in noise, folly, and turbulence; for which he was
duly punished by the master on duty.

He got up next morning breathing, with a sense of defiance and
enjoyment, his new atmosphere of self-will. He, of course, broke down
utterly, more utterly than ever, in his morning lessons, and got a
proportionately longer imposition. Going back to his place, he
purposely flung down his books on the desk, one after another with a
bang; and for each book which he had flung down, Mr Paton gave him a
hundred lines, whereupon he laughed sarcastically, and got two hundred
more. Conscious that the boys were watching with some amusement this
little exhibition of temper and trial of wills, he then took out a sheet
of paper, wrote on it, in large letters, the words Two Hundred Lines for
Mr Paton, and, amid the tittering of the form, carried it up to Mr
Paton's desk.

This was the most astoundingly impudent and insubordinate act which had
ever been done to Mr Paton for years, and it was now his turn to be
angry. But mastering his anger with admirable determination, he merely
said, "Evson, you must be beside yourself this morning; it is very
rarely, indeed, that a new boy is so far gone in disobedience as this.
I have no hesitation in saying that you are the most audacious and
impertinent new boy with whom I have ever had to deal. I must cane you
in my room after detention, to which you will of course go."

"Thank you, sir," said Walter, with a smile of imp