le as a child. But as it
was, he left the room quite coolly, with a sneer on his lips, and banged
the door; yet the next moment, when he found himself in the court alone,
unsupported by the countenance of those who enjoyed his rebelliousness,
he seated himself on a bench in the courtyard, hung his head on his
breast, and burst into a flood of tears. If any friend could have seen
him at that moment, or spoken one word in season, how much pain the poor
boy might have been saved! Kenrick happened to cross the court; the
moment Walter caught sight of him he sat with head erect and arms
folded, but Kenrick was not to be deceived. He had caught one glimpse
of Walter first; he saw his eyes wet with tears, and knew that he was in
trouble. He hung on his foot doubtfully for one moment--but then his
pride came in; he remembered the little pettish repulse in the
playground the day before; the opportunity was lost, and he walked
slowly on. And Walter's heart grew as hard within him as a stone.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

VOGUE LA GALERE.

Ah! Diamond, thou little knowest what mischief thou hast done.

Life of Sir I. Newton.

That afternoon Mr Paton, going into the Combination Room, where the
masters often met, threw himself into one of the armchairs with an
unwonted expression of vexation and disgust on his usually placid
features.

"Why, what's the matter with you, Paton?" asked Mr Robertson. "Is
to-day's _Times_ too liberal for your notions, or what?"

"No," said Mr Paton; "but I have just been caning Evson, a new boy, and
the fellow's stubborn obstinacy and unaccountable coolness annoy me
exceedingly."

"O yes; he's a pupil of mine, I'm sorry to say, and he has never been
free from punishment since he came. Even your Procrustean rule seems to
fail with him, Paton. What have you been obliged to cane him for?"

Mr Paton related Walter's escapade.

"Well, of course you had no choice but to cane him," replied his
colleague, "for such disobedience; but how did he take it?"

"In the oddest way possible. He came in with punctilious politeness,
obviously assumed, with sarcastic intentions. When I took up the cane
he stood with arms folded, and a singularly dogged look; in fact, his
manner disarmed me. You know I detest caning, and I really could not do
it, never having had occasion for it for months together. I gave him
two cuts, and then left off. `May I go, sir?' he asked. `Yes,' I said,
and he left the room