f his coat, and lugged him bodily
into the class-room.

"There, now! Do you know this gentleman? He's a monitor. Have a good
look at him. He's been complaining of the row you are making, and quite
rightly. Take that, and tell all the little Pigs outside that if they
don't hold their noise they will find themselves, every man jack of
them, _mentioned by name_ in the next number!"

So saying, with a gentle cuff he handed the ill-starred Master Bramble
out again to his fellows, and from that time there was scarcely a sound
audible from the passage.

"Good-bye," said Pembury, kissing his hand to Loman, who all this time
had been standing in the middle of the room, in a white heat, and
perplexed what to do or say next.

"You aren't going to live here, are you?" asked Bullinger.

"Any one got a toffee-drop?" drily inquired Oliver. To his surprise,
and to the surprise of every one, Loman wheeled round towards the last
speaker, and without a word struck him a blow on the mouth with his
hand.

He saw he had made a mistake, and looked ashamed the moment the deed was
done. All eyes turned to Oliver, whose face was crimson with a sudden
flush of pain and anger. He sprang to his feet, and Braddy, the bully,
was already beginning to gloat over the prospect of a fight, when, to
every one's amazement, Oliver coolly put his hands back into his
pockets, and walking up to Loman said, quietly, "Hadn't you better go?"

Loman stared at him in astonishment. He had at least expected to be
knocked down, and this, behaviour was quite incomprehensible.

He turned on his heel and quitted the room without a word; and somehow
or other from that time the Fifth heard no more protests from the
monitors on the subject of the _Dominican_.

But Oliver's conduct, much as it had astonished the person chiefly
concerned, had astonished the Fifth still more. For the first time in
the history of their class, as far as they could recollect, a blow
struck had not been returned, and they could not tell what to make of
it.

The blow had been a cowardly one, and certainly unmerited, and by all
schoolboy tradition one fairly demanding a return. Could it be possible
their man was lacking in courage? The idea was a shock to most present,
who, although Oliver was never very popular among them, as has been
said, had never before suspected his pluck. In fact, it was an awkward
moment for all, and it was quite a relief when Simon broke silence by