Brown." And as Tom didn't see his way to not profiting by
these suggestions, the lesson went on about as quickly as usual, and
Gower was able to start for the fives court within five minutes of the
half-hour.

When Tom and East were left face to face, they looked at one another for
a minute, Tom puzzled, and East chokefull of fun, and then burst into a
roar of laughter.

"Well, Tom," said East, recovering himself, "I don t see any objection
to the new way. It's about as good as the old one, I think, besides the
advantage it gives one of feeling virtuous, and looking down on one's
neighbours."

Tom shoved his hand into his back hair. "I ain't so sure," said he; "you
two fellows carried me off my legs. I don't think we really tried one
sentence fairly. Are you sure you remember what the Doctor said to you?"

"Yes. And I'll swear I couldn't make out one of my sentences to-day--no,
nor ever could. I really don't remember," said East, speaking slowly and
impressively, "to have come across one Latin or Greek sentence this half
that I could go and construe by the light of nature. Whereby I am sure
Providence intended cribs to be used."

"The thing to find out," said Tom meditatively, "is how long one ought
to grind at a sentence without looking at the crib. Now I think if one
fairly looks out all the words one don't know, and then can't hit it,
that's enough."

"To be sure, Tommy," said East demurely, but with a merry twinkle in his
eye. "Your new doctrine too, old fellow," added he, "when one comes to
think of it, is a cutting at the root of all school morality. You'll
take away mutual help, brotherly love, or, in the vulgar tongue, giving
construes, which I hold to be one of our highest virtues. For how can
you distinguish between getting a construe from another boy and using a
crib? Hang it, Tom, if you're going to deprive all our school-fellows
of the chance of exercising Christian benevolence and being good
Samaritans, I shall cut the concern."

"I wish you wouldn't joke about it, Harry; it's hard enough to see one's
way--a precious sight harder than I thought last night. But I suppose
there's a use and an abuse of both, and one'll get straight enough
somehow. But you can't make out, anyhow, that one has a right to use old
vulgus-books and copy-books."

"Hullo, more heresy! How fast a fellow goes downhill when he once gets
his head before his legs. Listen to me, Tom. Not use old vulgus-books!
Why, you Goth, ain'