didn't mean--"

"Then stay in an hour after school, and write four pages of your copy-
book."

It took all Jeffreys' resolution to stand by and listen to this
vindictive sentence without a protest. But he restrained himself, and
resolved that Freddy should find before long that all his masters were
not against him.

"That's your fault," said Trimble, noticing the dissatisfied look of his
colleague. "How are we to keep order if you go and make the boys break
rules? Now you'd better get to work. Take the second class over there
and give them their English history. James the Second they're at. Now,
you boys, first class, come up to me with your sums. Second class, take
your history up to Mr Jeffreys. Come along; look alive!"

Jeffreys thereupon found himself mobbed by a troop of twenty of the
youngest of the boys, and haled away to a desk at the far end of the
room, round which they congregated book in hand, and waited for him to
commence operations.

It was an embarrassing situation for the new usher. He had never been
so fixed before. He had often had a crowd of small boys round him,
tormenting him and provoking him to anger; but to be perched up here at
a desk, with twenty tender youths hanging on the first word which should
fall from his lips, was to say the least, a novel experience. He
glanced up towards the far end of the room, in the hopes of being able
to catch a hint from the practised Jonah as to how to proceed. But he
found Jonah was looking at him suspiciously over the top of his book,
and that was no assistance whatever. The boys evidently enjoyed his
perplexity; and, emboldened by his recent act of friendliness to the
unlucky Freddy, regarded him benevolently.

"Will some one lend me a book?" at last said Jeffreys, half desperate.

A friendly titter followed this request.

"Don't you know it without the book?" asked one innocent, handing up a
book.

"I hope you do," said Jeffreys, blushing very much as he took it.
"Now," added he, turning to the reign of James II, "can any one tell we
what year King James II came to the throne?"

"Please, sir, that's not the way," interposed another irreverent
youngster, with a giggle. "You've got to read it first, and then ask
us."

Jeffreys blushed again.

"Is that the way?" said he. "Very well. James II succeeded his brother
Charles in 1685. One of his first acts on coming--"

"Oh, we're long past that," said two or three of his delighted