l--nothing
at all; a gentle lesson to servitors as to the duties of their
position; not pleasant, perhaps, for a youngster to swallow; but
I ought to be used to such things at any rate by this time. I beg
your pardon for seeming put out."

"Do tell me what it is," said Tom. "I'm sure I am very sorry for
anything which annoys you."

"I believe you are," said Hardy, looking at him, "and I'm much
obliged to you for it. What do you think of that fellow Chanter's
offering Smith, the junior servitor, a boy just come up, a bribe
of ten pounds to prick him in at chapel when he isn't there?"

"The dirty blackguard," said Tom; "by Jove he ought to be cut. He
will be cut, won't he? You don't mean that he really did offer
him the money?"

"I do," said Hardy, "and the poor little fellow came here after
hall to ask me what he should do with tears in his eyes."

"Chanter ought to be horsewhipped in quad," said Tom.

"I will go and call on Smith directly. What did you do?"

"Why, as soon as I could master myself enough not to lay hands on
him," said Hardy, "I went across to his rooms where he was
entertaining a select party, and just gave him his choice between
writing an abject apology then and there to my dictation, or
having the whole business laid before the principal to-morrow
morning. He chose the former alternative, and I made him write
such a letter as I don't think he will forget in a hurry."

"That's good," said Tom; "but he ought to have been horsewhipped
too. It makes one's fingers itch to think of it. However, Smith's
all right now."

"All right!" said Hardy, bitterly. "I don't know what you call
'all right.' Probably the boy's self-respect is hurt for life.
You can't salve over this sort of thing with an apology-plaster."

"Well, I hope it isn't so bad as that," said Tom.

"Wait till you've tried it yourself," said Hardy, "I'll tell you
what it is; one or two things of this sort--and I've seen many
more than that in my time--sink down into you, and leave marks
like a red-hot iron."

"But, Hardy, now, really, did you ever know a bribe offered
before?" said Tom.

Hardy thought for a moment. "No," said he, "I can't say that I
have; but things as bad, or nearly as bad, often." He paused a
minute, and then went on; "I tell you, if it were not for my dear
old father, who would break his heart over it, I would cut the
whole concern to-morrow. I've been near doing it twenty times,
and enlisting in a good regime