him. Ernest kept his eye on his opponent's, but said nothing,
and in no other way showed that he was aware of his evil intentions.
Blackall at length began to lose his temper at his own failures: he
ground his teeth and turned savage glances towards Bracebridge, who met
them with a quiet look, free, at the same time, from scorn or anger.
Not once did Blackall succeed in inflicting a blow, and though Ernest at
last might have bestowed several very severe ones, he rightly refrained
from so doing.

"I know perfectly well that even had he hit me, I ought not to have hit
him back," he said to himself; "much more then ought I to refrain when
he has not succeeded in his object. I should like to try the plan of
heaping coals of fire on his head. I might soften him, but I should
have less hope with him than with any one. I will try. It matters not
what may happen to me, but I am resolved, at the same time, I will not
let him go on bullying any fellow whom I can defend." When the drill
was over, Sergeant Dibble called up Ernest.

"I saw it all, sir," he said. "You did capitally. I never saw a young
gentleman keep his temper as you did. Why he wants to hurt you I don't
know, but I will put you up to a trick or two which will place him in
your power. You are getting on famously with your fencing. He piques
himself on being a first-rate fencer. He is not bad; and he does very
well when he fences with Mr Jay, or any one he knows. Now, though I do
not teach fencing, I can fence; and, what is more, I have learned
several tricks which people do not generally know. I once saved a
wounded Frenchman's life and took him prisoner, and nursed him as I
ought to have done, and then I found he was a master of the science of
defence and attack. I never saw a man who could use a small sword as he
did. Well, as a mark of his gratitude, he taught me all he knew, and,
especially, how to disarm an opponent. It is simple, but requires
practice. There is no one in the fencing-room; come with me there and I
will show it to you. Practise the trick till I come again, whenever you
have an opportunity, either by yourself or with a friend you can trust,
like Ellis or Buttar. I'll answer for it that you will be perfect in a
couple of weeks at most. If you lead Blackall to it, he is certain to
challenge you before long. Disarm him three times running, and I do not
think that he'll ever wish to attack you again in any way."

Ernest could