ly to engage
their respect.

It was the first time that he had been brought face to face with his
pitiable diffidence. He was ashamed; he thought of how differently
Lawrence would have met the situation--how much more directly he would
have dealt with it. Irving resolved that hereafter he would not be
afraid of any multitude of boys. But he refrained from making his
presence known in the dormitory that afternoon.

At half past five o'clock he went downstairs to the rooms of Mr.
Randolph, who had charge of the Upper School. Mr. Marcy, the Fifth Form
dormitory master, and Mr. Wythe, the Fourth Form dormitory master, were
also there. They were veterans, comparatively, and it was to meet them
and benefit by what they could tell him that Irving had been invited.
All three congratulated him on his good fortune in obtaining the Sixth
Form dormitory.

"The older they are, the less trouble they are," said Wythe. "My first
year I was over at the Lower School, looking after the little kids. Half
the time they're sick and whimpering and have to be coddled, and the
rest of the time they have to be spanked."

"It hardly matters what age they are," lamented Marcy, pessimistically.
"There's bound to be a dormitory disorder once in so often."

"What do you do in that case?" asked Irving.

"Jump hard on some one," answered Wythe. "Try to get the leader of it,
but if you can't get him, get somebody. Report him,--give him three
sheets."

"That means writing Latin lines for three hours on half-holidays?"

"Yes, and six marks off in Decorum for the week. Of course they'll come
wheedling round you, wanting to be excused; you have to use your own
discretion about that."

"Do you have any Sixth Form classes?" asked Marcy.

"Yes," Irving answered. "In Geometry."

"That means you'll have to take the upper hand and hold it, right from
the start. If you have one crowd in dormitory to look after and another
crowd in class, you can afford to relax a little now and then; but when
it's the same boys in both--they watch for any sign of weakening."

"There will be only two of them at your table, any way, Mr. Upton," said
Randolph. He passed over a list. "The others are all Fourth and Fifth
Formers--only Westby and Carroll from the Sixth!"

"Westby!" Wythe sighed. "Maybe we were premature in congratulating you.
I'd forgotten about Westby."

"What is the matter with him?" asked Irving.

"His cleverness, and his attractiveness. He smiles