unishment. Barnaby Bracegirdle,
thou gavest this caricature to Mr Knapps; from whence hadst thou it?
Lie not."

Barnaby turned red and white, and then acknowledged that the drawing was
his own.

"You boys," cried the Dominie, waving his rod which he had seized, "you
gave these drawings to Mr Knapps; tell me from whom they came."

The boys, frightened at the Dominie's looks, immediately replied in a
breath, "From Barnaby Bracegirdle."

"Then, Barnaby Bracegirdle, from whom didst thou receive them?" inquired
the Dominie. Barnaby was dumbfounded.

"Tell the truth; didst thou not draw them thyself, since thou didst not
receive them from other people?"

Barnaby fell upon his knees, and related the whole circumstances,
particularly the way in which the Cornelius Nepos had been obtained
through the medium of Mr Knapps. The indignation of the Dominie was
now beyond all bounds. I never had seen him so moved before. He
appeared to rise at least a foot more in stature, his eyes sparkled, his
great nose turned red, his nostrils dilated, and his mouth was more than
half open, to give vent to the ponderous breathing from his chest. His
whole appearance was withering to the culprits.

"For thee, thou base, degraded, empty-headed, and venomous little
abortion of a man, I have no words to signify my contempt. By the
governors of this charity I leave thy conduct to be judged; but until
they meet, thou shalt not pollute and contaminate the air of this school
by thy presence. If thou hast one spark of good feeling in thy petty
frame, beg pardon of this poor boy, whom thou wouldst have ruined by thy
treachery. If not, hasten to depart, lest in my wrath I apply to the
teacher the punishment intended for the scholar, but of which thou art
more deserving than even Barnaby Bracegirdle."

Mr Knapps said nothing, hastened out of the school, and that evening
quitted his domicile. When the governors met he was expelled with
ignominy. "Simon Swapps, hoist up Barnaby Bracegirdle." Most
strenuously and most indefatigably was the birch applied to Barnaby, a
second time, through me. Barnaby howled and kicked, howled and kicked,
and kicked again. At last the Dominie was tired. "_Consonat omne nemus
strepitu_" (for _nemus_ read schoolroom), exclaimed the Dominie, laying
down the rod, and pulling out his handkerchief to wipe his face.
"_Calcitrat, ardescunt germani coede bimembres_, that last quotation is
happy." [cluck, cluck.] H