nter which stood in a corner of the room, and had snapped it into
two pieces. Holding the lighter of these in one hand, with the other
hand he suddenly caught Master Felix by the coat-collar, and in a
second had him out of the room and on to the landing. Then did the
echoes of the Academy wake to such a bellowing as they had probably
never heard before. With a grip impossible even to struggle against,
Waymark held the young imp under his arm, and plied the broken pointer
with great vigour; the stripes were almost as loud as the roarings.
There was a rush from the rooms below in the direction of the
disturbance; all the boys were in a trice leaping about delightedly on
the stairs, and behind them came O'Gree, Egger, and Dr. Tootle himself.
From the room above rushed out all the young Tootles, yelling for help.
Last of all, from still higher regions of the house there swept down a
vision of disordered female attire, dishevelled hair, and glaring eyes;
it was Mrs. Tootle, disturbed at her toilet, forgetting all
considerations of personal appearance at the alarming outcry. Just as
she reached the spot, Waymark's arm dropped in weariness; he flung the
howling young monkey into one corner, the stick into another, and
deliberately pulled his coat-sleeves into position once more. He felt
vastly better for the exercise, and there was even a smile on his
heated face.

"You brutal ruffian!" shrieked Mrs. Tootle. "How dare you touch my
child? You shall answer for this in the police court, sir."

"Waymark," cried her husband, who had struggled to the scene through
the crowd of cheering boys, "what's the meaning of this? You forget
yourself, sir. Who gave you authority to use corporal chastisement?"

"The boy has long deserved a good thrashing," he said, "and I'm glad I
lost my temper sufficiently to give him a portion of his deserts. If
you wish to know the immediate cause, it simply was that he threw a
book at his governess's head and hit her."

"Mr. O'Gree," called out the doctor, "take your boys back to their
duties, sir! I am quite unable to understand this disgraceful lack of
discipline. Every boy who is not at his seat in one minute will have
five hundred verses of the Psalms to write out!--Mr. Waymark, I shall
be obliged to you if you will step into my study."

Five minutes after, Waymark was closeted with Dr. Tootle. The latter
had all at once put off his appearance of indignation.

"Really," he began, "it's a great pi