the Dominie; "he is a rich mine, from
which much precious metal is to be obtained."

"I hear that thou hast the talent for drawing, Jacob," said he to me, a
day or two afterwards.

"I never had in my life, sir," replied I.

"Nay, Jacob; I like modesty but modesty should never lead to a denial of
the truth. Remember, Jacob, that thou do not repeat the fault."

I made no answer, as I felt convinced that I was not in fault; but that
evening I requested the Dominie to lend me a pencil, as I wished to try
and draw. For some days, various scraps of my performances were
produced, and received commendation. "The boy draweth well," observed
the Dominie to Mr Knapps, as he examined my performance through his
spectacles.

"Why should he have denied his being able to draw?" observed the usher.

"It was a fault arising from modesty or want of confidence--even a
virtue, carried to excess, may lead us into error."

The next attempt of Barnaby was to obtain the Cornelius Nepos which I
then studied. This was effected by Mr Knapps, who took it out of the
Dominie's study, and put it into Barnaby's possession, who drew on the
fly-leaf, on which was my name, a caricature head of the Dominie; and
under my own name, which I had written on the leaf, added, in my hand,
_fecit_, so that it appeared, Jacob Faithful _fecit_. Having done this,
the leaf was torn out of the book, and consigned to the usher with the
rest. The plot was now ripe; and the explosion soon ensued. Mr Knapps
told the Dominie that I drew caricatures of my school-fellows. The
Dominie taxed me, and I denied it. "So you denied drawing," observed
the usher.

A few days passed away, when Mr Knapps informed the Dominie that I had
been caricaturing him and Mrs Bately, the matron, and that he had
proofs of it. I had then gone to bed; the Dominie was much surprised,
and thought it impossible that I could be so ungrateful. Mr Knapps
said that should make the charge openly, and prove it the next morning
in the school-room; and wound up the wrong by describing me in several
points, as a cunning, good-for-nothing, although clever boy.

CHAPTER FIVE.

MR. KNAPPS THINKS TO CATCH ME NAPPING, BUT THE PLOT IS DISCOVERED, AND
BARNABY BRACEGIRDLE IS OBLIGED TO LOOSEN HIS BRACES FOR THE SECOND TIME
ON MY ACCOUNT--DRAWING CARICATURES ENDS IN DRAWING BLOOD--THE USHER IS
USHERED OUT OF THE SCHOOL, AND I AM NEARLY USHERED INTO THE NEXT WORLD,
BUT INSTEAD OF BEING BOUND ON