otice of it, sir," said Upton.

"I have nothing to do with other masters. Williams, you will bring me
the fourth Georgic, written out by Saturday morning, for your repeated
disobedience. Upton, I have a great mind to punish you also, for
tempting him to come here."

This was a mistake on Mr Gordon's part, of which Upton took immediate
advantage.

"I have no power to prevent it, sir, if he wishes it. Besides," he
continued with annoying blandness of tone, "it would be inhospitable;
and I am too glad of his company."

Eric smiled; and Mr Gordon frowned. "Williams, leave the room
instantly."

The boy obeyed slowly and doggedly. "Mr Rose never interferes with me,
when he sees me here," he said as he retreated.

"Then I shall request Mr Rose to do so in future; your conceit and
impertinence are getting intolerable."

Eric only answered with a fiery glance; for of all charges the one which
a boy resents most is an accusation of conceit. The next minute Upton
joined him on the stairs, and Mr Gordon heard them laughing a little
ostentatiously, as they ran out into the playground together. He went
away full of strong contempt, and from that moment began to look on the
friends as two of the worst boys in the school.

This incident had happened on Thursday, which was a half-holiday, and
instead of being able to join in any of the games, Eric had to spend
that weary afternoon in writing away at the fourth Georgic; Upton
staying in a part of the time to help him a little, by dictating the
lines to him--an occupation not unfrequently interrupted by storms of
furious denunciation against Mr Gordon's injustice and tyranny; Eric
vowing, with the usual vagueness of schoolboy intention, "that he would
pay him out somehow yet."

The imposition was not finished that evening, and it again consumed some
of the next day's leisure, part of it being written between schools in
the forbidden classroom. Still it was not quite finished on Friday
afternoon at six, when school ended, and Eric stayed a few minutes
behind the rest to scribble off the last ten lines; which done, he
banged down the lid of the desk, not locking it, and ran out.

The next morning an incident happened which involved considerable
consequences to some of the actors in my story.

Mr Rose and several other masters had not a schoolroom to themselves,
like Mr Gordon, but heard their forms in the great hall. At one end of
this hall was a board used for the va