ker' now. You see, his
name is S. Mellar, and if you say it quickly it sounds like 'Smeller.'
So we call him 'Stinker.' It was a kid called Lane thought of it. Pretty
smart--eh? Oh, he's a clever chap, I can tell you," yelled Gerald, with
sincere enthusiasm.

"He must be a youth of gigantic intellect," I said.

"Oh, come off the roof! Well, Stinker grabbed my knife, and said,
'Hallo, young man, what's all this? Handing down your name to
posterity--eh?' with a silly grin on his face.

"I said I was just carving my name.

"'I see you have just finished it,' he said.

"I didn't quite tumble to his meaning at first, because I had only got
as far as G. RUB,--and then I saw that the whole thing as it stood
spelled 'GRUB.' Lord, how the swine laughed! He told the form all about
it, and of course they all laughed too, the sniggering, grovelling
sweeps!

"Then Stinker said: 'A happy thought has just occurred to me. I shall
not have your name obliterated in the usual manner'--they cut it out and
put in a fresh bit of wood, and charge you a bob--' this time. I have
thought of a more excellent way.' (He always talks like that, in a sort
of slow drawl.) 'We will leave your name exactly as you have carved it.
But remember, young man, not another letter do you add to that name so
long as you are a member of this school. A Grub you are,--a nasty little
destructive Grub,--and a Grub you shall remain, so far as that desk is
concerned, for all time. And if ever in future years you come down here
as a distinguished Old Boy--say a K.C.B. or an Alderman,--remember to
bring your numerous progeny'--oh, he's a sarcastic devil!--'to this
room, and show them what their papa once was!'

"Of course all the chaps roared again, at the idea of me with a lot of
kids. But that wasn't all. He switched off _that_ tap quite suddenly,
and said--

"'Seriously, though, I am not pleased about this. Carving your name on a
desk is not one of the seven deadly sins, but doing so when I have told
you not to _is_. This silly street-boy business has been getting too
prevalent lately: we shall have you chalking things up on the walls
next. I particularly gave out last week, when this new desk was put in,
that no one was to touch it. Come to me at twelve, and I will cane you.'
And he _did_," concluded Gerald, with feeling.

"What a shame!" said Dilly, who was sitting by. "All for carving a silly
old desk."

"He was perfectly right," said Gerald, his innate