whose reputation he had blasted, and the result you all know. Those
who joined in bullying Campbell last night, I forgive. They have
confessed. Warburton has not done so. For his lie, I punish him."

And then, calling Warburton, he caned him severely before the whole
school, a punishment but rarely adopted, and once only remembered to
have taken place by the elder boys.

"With regard to Egerton," he resumed, "there is but one course for me
to adopt." And he rang a bell which communicated with his house, and,
after a breathless pause of about three minutes, William entered,
bearing a birch, with an expression of mock gravity on his countenance.
Egerton's appearance was one of abject meanness; his indifference was
all gone; he was the picture of trembling, tearful cowardice.

The birch had never been used in the recollection of any of the boys.
It had only existed--a shadowy terror. But now that it appeared in all
its stern dignity, Egerton, the destined recipient, fell on his knees,
and, with streaming eyes--coward as he was--begged imploringly for
forgiveness.

It was not likely his cries would be of any avail. Nor, indeed, were
they. Nor would the Doctor prolong the sickening scene. The birch did
its duty, and well.

In five minutes Egerton had been birched in such a manner that every
one thought he would certainly never forget it till his dying day.
Egerton himself was too "personally affected" to think of anything, but
contented himself with howling lustily. And finally he heard the
Doctor's voice, telling him he was expelled, and would leave the school
in two hours.

"There will be no more work to-day," said Doctor Palmer, when he had
recovered breath from his exertions. "Besides the pleasure of
proclaiming Campbell's innocence, I have to add that Mr Franklyn tells
me his papers were far superior to those of the rest of his class; and
that, judging from them, he would have easily maintained his position
as head boy, had he not left us of his own accord, provoked and
ill-treated, I cordially allow. I only trust we may be able to
discover him, and have him once more among us. You see, boys," he
added affectionately, "truth and innocence will always right themselves
sooner or later."

And then, as the masters left the room, there rose the loud ringing
cheers that English boys know so well to give. The innocent was
justified; the guilty punished! Was not that enough to make all hearts
glad?