r room and closed the door.

Tom set himself to work with a will, and as he bent over one
after another of the pupils, and guided the small grubby hands
which clutched the inky pens with cramped fingers, and went
spluttering and blotching along the lines of the copy-books, felt
the yellow scales dropping from his eyes, and more warmth coming
back into his heart than he had known there for many a day.

All went on well inside, notwithstanding a few small out-breaks
between the scholars, but every now and then mud was thrown
against the window, and noises outside and in the passages
threatened some interruption. At last, when the writing was
finished, the copy-books cleared away, and the class-books
distributed, the door opened, and two or three big boys of
fifteen or sixteen lounged in, with their hands in their pockets
and their caps on. There was an insolent look about them which
set Tom's back up at once; however, he kept his temper, made them
take their caps off, and, as they said they wanted to read with
the rest, let them take their places on the benches.

But now came the tug of war. He could not keep his eyes on the
whole lot at once, and, no sooner did he fix his attention on the
stammering reader for the time being and try to help him, than
anarchy broke out all round him. Small stones and shot were
thrown about, and cries arose from the smaller fry, "Please, sir,
he's been and poured some ink down my back," "He's stole my book,
sir," "He's gone and stuck a pin in my leg." The evil-doers were
so cunning that it was impossible to catch them; but as he was
hastily turning in his own mind what to do, a cry arose, and one
of the benches went suddenly over backwards on to the floor,
carrying with it its whole freight of boys, except two of the
bigger ones, who were the evident authors of the mishap.

Tom sprang at the one nearest him, seized him by the collar,
hauled him into the passage, and sent him out of the street-door
with a sound kick; and then rushing back, caught hold of the
second, who went down on his back and clung round Tom's legs,
shouting for help to his remaining companions, and struggling and
swearing. It was all the work of a moment, and now the door
opened, and Grey appeared from the inner room. Tom left off
hauling his prize towards the passage, and felt and looked very
foolish.

"This fellow, and another whom I have turned out, upset that form
with all the little boys on it," he said, ap