are of _pandies_, when a noise in the children's
class attracting the master's attention, he saw one of the Truffeys hit
another boy in the face. He strode upon him at once, and putting no
question as to provocation, took him by the neck, fixed it between his
knees, and began to lash him with hissing blows. In his agony, the
little fellow contrived to twist his head about and get a mouthful of
the master's leg, inserting his teeth in a most canine and praiseworthy
manner. The master caught him up, and dashed him on the floor. There
the child lay motionless. Alarmed, and consequently cooled, Malison
proceeded to lift him. He was apparently lifeless; but he had only
fainted with pain. When he came to himself a little, it was found that
his leg was hurt. It appeared afterwards that the knee-cap was greatly
injured. Moaning with pain, he was sent home on the back of a big
parish scholar.

At all this Anne stared from her pillory with horror. The feeling that
God was angry with her grew upon her; and Murdoch Malison became for a
time inseparably associated with her idea of God, frightfully
bewildering all her aspirations.

The master still looked uneasy, threw the _tag_ into his desk, and beat
no one more that day. Indeed, only half an hour of school-time was
left. As soon as that was over, he set off at a swinging pace for the
old grandfather's cottage.

What passed there was never known. The other Truffey came to school the
next day as usual, and told the boys that his brother was in bed. In
that bed he lay for many weeks, and many were the visits the master
paid him. This did much with the townsfolk to wipe away his reproach.
They spoke of the affair as an unfortunate accident, and pitied the
schoolmaster even more than the sufferer.

When at length the poor boy was able to leave his bed, it became
apparent that, either through unskilful treatment, or as the
unavoidable result of the injury, he would be a cripple for life.

The master's general behaviour was certainly modified by this
consequence of his fury; but it was some time before the full reaction
arrived.

CHAPTER XXVII.

When Annie descended from her hateful eminence, just before the final
prayer, it was with a deeper sense of degradation than any violence of
the tawse on her poor little hands could have produced. Nor could the
attentions of Alec, anxiously offered as soon as they were out of
school, reach half so far to console her as they m