the boys chose to
make him something of a butt, there was no more conscientious fellow at
Saint Winifred's, sought Walter out on every possible occasion, and when
they were alone spoke to him, in his gentle and honest way, many a
cheering and kindly word. Another friend of this sort (whom Walter
already knew slightly through Kenrick, who was in the form below him),
was a boy named Power. There was something in Power most attractive:
his clear eyes, and innocent expression of face, his unvarying success
in all school competitions, his quiet and graceful manners, and even the
coldness and reserve which made him stand somewhat aloof from the herd
of boys, mixing with very few of them, firmly and unobtrusively assuming
an altogether higher tone than theirs, and bestowing his confidence and
friendship on hardly any--all tended to make him a marked character, and
to confer on his intimacy an unusual value. Walter, to whom as yet he
had hardly spoken, thought him self-centred and reserved, and yet saw
something beautiful and fascinating even in his exclusiveness; he felt
that he could have liked him much, but, as he was several forms lower
than Power, never expected to become one of his few associates. But
during his troubles Power so openly showed that he regarded him with
respect and kindness, and was so clearly the first to make advances,
that Walter gladly and gratefully accepted the proffered friendship.

It happened thus: One day, about a fortnight after his last escapade,
Walter was amusing himself alone, as he often did, upon the shore. The
shore was very dear to him. I almost pity a boy whose school is not by
the seaside. He found on the shore both companionship and occupation.
He never felt lonely there. He could sit there by the hour, either in
calm or storm, watching the sea-birds dip their wings which flashed in
the sunlight, as they pounced down on some unwary fish; or listening to
the silken rustle and sweet monotony of the waves plashing musically
upon the yellow sands on some fine day. On this evening the tide was
coming in, and Walter had amused himself by standing on some of the
lumps of granite tossed about the shore until the advancing waves
encroached upon and surrounded his little island, and gave him just room
to jump to land. He was standing on one of these great stones watching
the sunset, and laughing to himself at the odd gambols of two or three
porpoises that kept rolling about in a futile