So Brooking
whispered in an audible voice--

"Faith! he's showing the white feather."

"You're a liar!" flung in Eric; and turning to Montagu, he said--"There!
I'll fight you this moment."

Instantly they had stripped off their coats and prepared for action. A
ring of excited boys crowded round them. Fellows of sixteen, like
Montagu and Eric, rarely fight, because their battles have usually been
decided in their earlier school-days; and it was also but seldom that
two boys so strong, active, and prominent, took this method of settling
their differences.

The fight began, and at first the popular favor was entirely on the side
of Eric, while Montagu found few or none to back him. But he fought with
a fire and courage which soon won applause; and as Eric, on the other
hand, was random and spiritless, the cry was soon pretty fairly divided
between them.

After a sharp round they paused for breath, and Owen, who had been a
silent and disgusted spectator of such a combat between boys of such
high standing, said with much, feeling--

"This is not a very creditable affair, Montagu."

"It is necessary," was Montagu's laconic reply.

Among other boys who had left the room before the fracas had taken
place, was Vernon Williams, who shrank away to avoid the pain of seeing
his new friend Wright bullied and tormented. But curiosity soon took him
back, and he came in just as the second round began. At first he only
saw a crowd of boys in the middle of the room, but jumping on a desk he
had a full view of what was going on.

There was a tremendous hubbub of voices, and Eric, now thoroughly roused
by the remarks he overheard, and especially by Wildney's whisper that
"he was letting himself be licked," was exerting himself with more vigor
and effect. It was anything but a noble sight; the faces of the
combatants were streaked with blood and sweat, and as the miserable gang
of lower school-boys backed them on with eager shouts of--"Now Eric, now
Eric," "Now Montagu, go it, sixth, form," etc., both of them fought
under a sense of deep disgrace, increased by the recollections which
they shared in common.

All this Vernon marked in a moment, and, filled with pain and vexation,
his said in a voice which, though low, could be heard amid all the
uproar, "Oh Eric, Eric, fighting with Montagu!" There was reproach and
sorrow in the tone, which touched more than one boy there, for Vernon,
spite of the recent change in him, could not b