er look and see if his name is on his collars," Stephen next
reflected, remembering with what care his mother had marked his own
linen.

He opened a drawer; it was full of jam-pots. At that moment the door
opened behind him, and the next thing Stephen was conscious of was that
he was half-stunned with a terrific box on the ears.

"Take that, you young thief!" said the indignant owner of the study;
"I'll teach you to stick your finger in my jam. What do you mean by
it?" and a cuff served as a comma between each sentence.

"I really didn't--I only wanted--I was looking for--"

"That'll do; don't tell lies as well as steal; get away."

"I never stole anything!" began Stephen, whose confusion was being
rapidly followed by indignation at this unjust suspicion.

"That'll do. A little boy like you shouldn't practise cheating. Off
you go! If I catch you again I'll take you to the Doctor."

In vain Stephen, now utterly indignant, and burning with a sense of
injustice, protested his innocence. He could not get a hearing, and
presently found himself out in the passage, the most miserable boy in
all Saint Dominic's.

He wandered disconsolately along the corridor, trying hard to keep down
his tears, and determined to beg and beseech his brother to let him
return home that very evening, when Loman and a friend confronted him.

"Hullo, I say, is tea ready?" demanded the former.

"No," said Stephen, half choking.

"Why ever not, when I told you?"

Stephen looked at him, and tried to speak, and then finally burst into
tears.

"Here's an oddity for you! Why, what's the row, youngster?"

"Nothing," stammered Stephen.

"That's a queer thing to howl at. If you were weeping because you
hadn't made my tea, I could understand it. Come along, I'll show you
how to do it this time, young greenhorn."

Stephen accompanied him mechanically, and was ushered into the study on
the other side of the door with the kicks to that in which he had been
so grievously wronged.

He watched Loman prepare the meal, and was then allowed to depart, with
orders to be in the way, in case he should be wanted.

Poor Stephen! Things were going from bad to worse, and life was already
a burden to him. And besides--that exam paper! It now suddenly dawned
upon him. Here it was nearly seven o'clock, and by ten to-morrow he was
to deliver it up to Dr Senior!

How _ever_ was he to get through it? He darted off to Oliver's study.
It was emp