and hence, whenever a scratch appeared upon his countenance, Bob, with promptitude, had his discharge. On no such occasion, however, did he go beyond the coachhouse. He was always reinstated within the hour. Stanley invariably insisted upon his being recalled, and, having gained his point, invariably found him in the carriage asleep. Now it is a most extraordinary fact-a fact which, however, is not more extraordinary than solemn-that Mrs. Thorn could refuse Stanley nothing, because Stanley would never tolerate a refusal from her lips. He had what he desired, because he would have it. That reason was in all cases held to be suffi cient. It is true she would endeavor to persuade him to forego any demand, the direct tendency of which she conceived to be pernicious; but eventually, such demand, however unreasonable might be its character, was conceded, because the concession was a thing upon which he had set his mind. The worthy alderman, during the last five years of his existence, would have nothing to do with him whatever. He had very horrid suspicions! Strong efforts had been made to convince him that the beautiful boy was in reality his very image-that he had the dear alderman's chin, the dear alderman's mouth, the dear alderman's eyes, nose, and spirit; but the alderman himself either could not or would not perceive those strong points of resemblance which were insisted upon with so much eloquence and warmth; and hence, although he never went quite so far as to wound the susceptible feelings of his lady by giving direct expression to his views on the point, he unhappily had strong suspicions! The alderman had tried, however with desperate zeal, to obtain the mastery over Stanley; but this he had never been able to accomplish, not even for a day; the failure of every effort, indeed, had been signal and complete. If in a moment of anger he happened to strike him, Stanley would not only strike him again, but keep up a fierce fire of books, glasses, plates, ornaments, stones-in short, any thing which happened to be at hand. If th alderman locked him up, he would break every table, every chair, and every window in the room; and if after a desperate struggle-and it could only be after a desperate struggle-he succeeded in tying him down, he would remain, on being released, very quietly till tea-time, when (no matter how many friends might be present, in his view the more the merrier, because of the increased quantity of ammunition) he would deliberately take his position at the table, and pelt the worthy alderman with the cups, while explaining very gravely to those around-who, of course, were quite shocked-that the whole thing was done in self-defence and these highly irregular proceedings he would repeat as often as he happened to be punished. If sent away, he would immediately return; for, as he justly held that to be a species of punishment, he very naturally held it to be a duty incumbent upon him to have his revenge; and when he did return, of course the worthy alderman knew it, for he found himself subjected at every point to annoyances of the most galling characSometimes he and Bob would get all the worthy alderman's boots, wigs, hats, and umbrellas, to make a bonfire in the stable; at other times he would make Bob throw water into the bed of the worthy alderman, or establish a vast number of nettles between the sheets with surpassing ingenuity. In fact, he regarded the worthy alderman as being neither ter. more nor less than his natural enemy. "What on earth am I to do with him?" said that worthy person to his friend, Mr. Sharpe, just before he gave Stanley up wholly. "Do with him!" exclaimed his friend, "do with him! Give him a sound, undeniable flogging, and repeat the dose daily." "But flogging makes him worse. He considers it an insult-he will have his revenge." re "Revenge!" cried Mr. Sharpe, very contemptuously, venge! A lad like that talk of revenge! If I had him, I'd cut him to the very back-bene!" And Mr. Sharpe looked particularly fierce, and shook his head with an air of inflexible determination, as he added, "Do you think I'd be mastered by a young wretch like that?" “My dear friend,” rejoined the alderman, "depend upon this, that he is not to be tamed in that way. I have tried it, my friend, I have tried it till I'm sick. "Well, why don't you send him to school? Why do 'nt you place him under some severe master, who will undertake te bring him to his senses?" "I have done so. Twenty-seven masters have undertaken the task, and what has been the consequence? Why, the mo ment they have commenced their severity, he has pelted them with ink-stands, and started." "Of course you have not taken him back on those occasions." "In several instances I have; but, God bless your soul, it was of no use! Some refused to receive him again; while those who consented to give him another trial were never able to keep him above a day." "I only wish that I had the management of him, that's all." "I wish you had with all my soul!" exclaimed the alder "Your bitterest enemy, my man, with unexampled fervor. friend, could wish no worse.' "I'd tame him!" rejoined Mr. Sharpe; I'd exorcise the little rampant devil that's within him!" "But how would you go to work? How would you act? What on earth would you do with him?" "What would I do with him? Will he not listen to reason ?" "To be sure he will; that's the worst of it. He'll sit down and argue the point with you for hours; he'll tell you candidly that if you insult him, he feels himself bound to avenge the insult; that his honor-his honor, my friend!prompts him to retaliate; that he is prepared at any time to sign a treaty of peace, to the effect that if you cease to annoy him, he will cease to annoy you; and that in the event of such treaty being violated, of course he and you are again at open war." "He is rather a queer customer to deal with," observed Mr. Sharpe. "He is rather a queer customer. You'd be very apt to think that he was if you knew all." "And yet," said Mr. Sharpe, after a pause, during which he had looked very mysterious, "I'd be bound still to tame him. Why, if he were a boy of mine:"-Mr. Sharpe said no more, but he shook his head with unspeakable significance, and took a very deep inspiration through his teeth. "Well, my friend, well"-urged the alderman, who wished him to proceed-"and if he were your son, what would you do with him?" "Do! I'd do something with him! I'd teach him the difference! Do you think that he should ever get the upper hand of me!" "But how would you manage it?-that's the great point. I'll just explain to you the way in which he acted last week. On Monday I simply said to him while at dinner, that he ought to be ashamed of his recent conduct, when he seized the tureen, and sent the whole of the soup over me in an instant. I chastised him-of course I chastised him-and he then upset the table. I rushed at him again; but having kept me at bay for some considerable time with the fragments of the dishes, he darted from the room. That night I found a number of nettles in my bed, and, on jumping out in agony, discovered that my bed-room had scarcely a single pane of glass in it; and in the morning I had neither a boot nor a hat to put on. I got hold of him by stratagem, and shook him with just violence, and what do you think he did? Why he instantly went out into the pantry, got a basketful of eggs, and popped them at me, until really I was in such a state! ! ran after him; but, no!-he kept up the fire, carrying his basket of ammunition upon his arm. Well, I caught him again in the course of the day, and locked him up in the cellar, and there he set to work, and I do not know how many bottles of wine he broke. I heard the crash, and went and shook the young scoundrel again-I could not help it-and again he set to work. He was busy all the morning. I feared that he was employed in some mischief; indeed I was as cer tain of it as I was of my own existence. Accordingly, as I was enjoying my usual nap after dinner on the sofa, he quietly crept into the room with a tankard of treacle, the whole of which he poured over me so gradually, commencing at my knees, that I did not awake until he had literally covered me, and before I could rise he had rushed from the room. My friead," continued the alderman, with due solemnity, "ima gine the pickle I was in! Yet what could I do! What is to be done with such a fellow? I knew perfectly well that until I discontinued my chastisement he would never cease to an noy me. Of course it's very hard—I know and feel it, as a father, to be particularly hard; but then what could I have done in such a case? What would you, my friend, have done under the self-same circumstances?" "What would I have done!" cried Mr. Sharpe, very indig nantly. "I can scarcely tell what I should not have done." My dear, my sweet boy!-my own Stanley!"-she would exclaim, after a fit of desperation on his part, "you know how dearly, how fondly I love you. Now do not, pray do not indulge in those frantic bursts of passion. Indeed, indeed they will injure your health, my love,-I am perfectly sure that they will. Come, promise me now that you will in future avoid them-do promise, there's a dear!" "You must promise me mother, that in future you will not provoke me!"" "I will not-indeed I will not!" "she would exclaim."My heart beats with joy when you are happy." The tears would then start, she would embrace him and fondle him like a child, and arrange his fine hair, which flowed in ringlets upon his shoulders. Having moreover lavished a thousand kisses upon his brow, she would gaze upon her "own sweet Stanley," the "pride of her soul," with an expression of rap ture Truth to say, he was an extremely handsome youth, tall, and strikingly symmetical: his eyes were of the most brilliant character, his features of the finest conceivable caste, while his presence was elegant, and even then commanding. That such a mother should have almost idolized him cannot be deemed marvellous. She could not, however, disguise from her self that she had from his earliest infancy cherished that spirit, which she now tried in vain to control. Nor was it, under the circumstances, at all extraordinary that from the age of fifteen he should have considered himself a man. He would suffer no one with impunity to designate him even a youth; and if any person applied to him the term young gentle man," that person was made at once to feel the force of his displeasure. The servants had been of course accustomed to style him Mr. Stanley; but that person was unblest who happened to pronounce the name of Stanley, after the alderman's unhappy dissolution. He would not permit it. "I pledge you my honor as a gentleman," he would say, "that if you dare to address me again as Mr. Stanley I'll kick you to the devil." It cannot hence be rationally expected that, with these views and feelings, his grief at the period of the alderman's death was very loud or very deep. He wore "the trappings and the suits of woe" as a purely social matter of course; but he hailed that period as the commencement of the era of his importance as a man. For albeit nearly the whole of the al, derm in's property, real and personal, had been left the widow he knew perfectly well that he should have just as much com mand over it as it it had been bequeathed absolutely to him. Stanley, however, was by no means content. He felt at first extremely gauche. He reflected that he was, after all but the son of an alderman, and that reflection, let it come when it might, never failed to inflict a wound upon his pride. He was a youth of keen perception. He saw around him those whom he conceived to be more elegant, more composed, more au fail to etiquette, more refined. He felt unable, to endure this. He was perpetually tormented with the idea. He listened, therefore, for the first time, to the suggestion made by his mother, that he should pass at least two years at Eton.As a scholar he was passable; but then he had been only at private schools, while those who shone in his judgment most brilliantly had been either to Oxford, to Cambridge, or at least to Eton. He conversed on the subject again and again, and at length became convinced that he ought to commence life in reality, as an Etonian, at least. It happened that the majority of his associates had been to Eton; and as they failed not to speak in fine praise of the school, to explain that it had turned out by far the greater proportion of the most distin guished men of the age; that none but Etonians were esteemed perfect men of the world, and that it was in fact far more famous for that than for absolute learning,-he eventually resolved upon going to Eaton expressly in order to gain once in Stanley a great man in embryo; and when she had been advised of the assumed fact that almost all the most distinguished men of the day were Etonians, she, of course, looked upon it as abundantly clear that all Etonians became distinguished men. This corollary was, in her judgment, really so natural and so correct that, had five thousand pounds been required for the sturt, she would have given that sum with unspeakable pleasure. Her Stanley-her own Stanley, was abont to become an Etonian! She did not pretend to understand much about it, but she nevertheless conceived from his description, that to be an Etonian would at once enable Stanley to associate with the sons of the most distinguished. Stanley himself had, however, still some misgivings on the subject. It was true he had read Virgil, and a trifle of Livy; he could, moreover, versify-; but he could not expect to be placed above the fourth form. He had heard of fagging: he had also heard of flogging; and he knew that if they attemptd to fag or to flog him! No matter-it was settled: he had made up his mind to go, and go he would, if it were only to enable him to say that he had been. Accordingly, everything which could be deemed essential was prepared, and the preliminaries necessary to enable him to commence on the ensuing half year having been politely arranged by Mr. Seymour, the father of one of Stanley's most gentlemanlike associates, he started with a purse sufficiently heavy, but with a heart perhaps not quite sufficiently light. CHAPTER II....Stanley at Eton. The first person to whom Stanley was introduced on his arrival was Alfred Julian, whose friends were on terms of close intimacy with the Seymours. Alfred, who was a fine hightoned boy-precisely the sort of lad to meet Stanley's views, undertook to initiate him into all the deep mysteries of the school; but he was most unfortunately himself in the fourth forin, and hence could not, by having his friend for a fag nomHe inally, save him from the tyranny of the fifth and sixth. therefore explained to him at once that he really must make up his mind to become a fag, seeing that all, no matter how high might be the position of their families, were compelled to submit to it, and that it was held to be by no means humiliating or degrading, but in reality a stimulus to exertion, inasmuch as those who took the right view of the matter, strove, in consequence, to work their way up as soon as possible. "All social distinctions here," added Julian, "are in this respect levelled; for example, Juliffe, Villiers, Cleveland, Cholmondeley, and Howard, to whom I shall introduce you, for they are all at our Dame's-are the fags of Frogmorton, although he is a plebeian, while they are connected with the first families in the kingdom. We must not, therefore, feel ourselves degraded when called upon to act like them." "Well, I shall see," returned Stanley. "I'll do as the rest do, if possible." He and Julian accordingly proceeded to Dame Johnston's, where they met with about twenty lighthearted, merry fellows." He had not, however, been here more than an hour when he was assailed by the older boys with a number of interrogatories which he held to be particularly impertinent. By Dashall, especially was he persecuted thus-for Dashall was one of those who, panting to show off their power, and importance, made the most of the three days before the arrival of the strapping fellows of the fifth and sixth forms. Stanley did not by any means approve of this practice, and therefore answered rather pettishly, which had the effect of making them persevere the more, for, although they saw something in his general tone and manner, which in a slight degree checked them, they held the process of teazing a new boy to be a right prescriptive and inviolable. "My good fellow," said Stanley, addressing Dashall, who would not give in, "do n't annoy me. I am anxious to make friends of all, and have therefore no desire to quarrel with you." "No "What! quarrel with me!" exclaimed the highly indignant Dashall, with an air of astonishment the most intense. desire to quarrel with me! Come, I like that: it's coolvery cool for a new one. Perhaps you would like to take it out, old fellow? Do you fancy yourself at all with the gloves?" Stanley eyed him with an expression of contempt, although he made no reply; but that terror of the juniors-the mighty Dishall-in a state of extreme ignorance of the chamber practice Stanley had had with Bob, distinctly intimated to him, and that in terms the most powerful at his command, that if he would only wait until he had pulled on his boots, he would surely accommodate him then with a turn. Stanley smiled; but Dashall, whose blood was up, looked very fierce, and gave his opponent such occasional glances as he fancied might wither him, while the juniors, whom the invincible Dashall had awed, really looked with an eye of pity upon Stanley, not, however, unmixed with astonishment at his apparently imperturbable calmness. 64 Now, my fine fellow!" cried Dashall, having drawn on his boots." If I take a little of the bounce out of you, it will do you precisely as much good as physic." Some of the juniors laughed at the sparkling wit of Dashall, while others advised Stanley to have nothing to do with him, he was such a desperate hitter; but Stanley, of course, remained unmoved, and Julian, who was anxious to ascertain what his new friend was made of, did by no means endeavor to dissuade him from accepting the challenge. "Now then! are you afraid?" cried the imperious Dashall; for really that desperate young gentleman had become very impatient; and be opened his shoulders and struck at the air, and ascertained the precise firmness of his muscles; but Stanley, who was in no sort of haste, made certain inquiries having reference to the character of his opponent, in order to learn what amount of punishment he should be justified in inflicting. Julian could not but admire Stanley's coolness; and having inferred hence that there must be some sterling stuff in him, he became nearly as eager for the fray as the fiery Dashall himself. Well, the gloves were produced, and Stanley rose. He buttoned his coat simply; but the mighty Dashall, bent upon doing some tremendous execution, stripped in an instant, and drew on the gloves. "Now," said Stanley, "I have no wish to hurt you; but if you persist in having a turn, you 'll have yourself alone to blame." "You do n't wish to hurt me!" cried Dashall. "Good again! Well, I wish I may live! What next? You do n't wish to hurt me!" he repeated, for really he was very much mused, and he laughed very loudly, and the juniors joined him very merrily. "Well, come, go to work!" said Julian at length. "You are both sure to win. Possunt, quia posse videntur.'" In this particular instance, however, the combatants respectively held Virgil to be wrong; and to prove that he was wrong, they immediately commenced, Dashall striking one of the most imposing attitudes of which he was capable, while Stanley simply held up his guard. Dashall even at the commencement did not much admire the unflinching firmness of Stanley's eye. He notwithstanding felt quite certain to beat him, and sprang about, and feinted, and performed a great variety of extraordinary antics, displaying at each spring his agility and science to an extent altogether remarkable. On the other hand, Stanley kept quiet: he felt that by far the best course he could pursue-the course calculated to save him a world of trouble in future, was that of allowing the great Dashall to tire himself at first, and then to honor him with a few of his straight-forward favors, with a view of convincing him firmly of his error. He therefore stood for some considerable time on the defensive, while Dashall was twisting and turning, and torturing himself into all sorts of attitudes, marvelling greatly that every well-meant blow of his should be so very coolly stopped. "Come-come! you don't appear to be doing much!" observed Stanley, when Dashall, by dint of striking out with desperation, had become nearly exhausted. "I think that it is now my turn to begin," and he gave him a gentle tap over his guard. These taps were always given upon the bridge of the nose; and as even Bob never liked them much, it will be extremely reasonable to infer that the great Dashall did not approve of them at all. Stanley, nevertheless, tapped him again and again, and in a manner so calm that the great man really became a little confused. He could not get even one blow at his opponent, who kept constantly tapping, and tapping, and tapping, until the terror of the fourth absolutely became so enraged that he scarcely knew what to be at.. He singularly enough began to feel that he had made a slight mistake in his man. He could do nothing with him. He tried a rush. Stanley stepped aside, and tapped him as he passed. He tried caution again; and again Stanley tapped him. This enraged him far more than would a corresponding number of straightforward blows, and he expressed himself precisely to that effect. 66 Why don't you strike out?" he exclaimed, with peculiar indignation, "and not keep on tapping and tapping like that!" "As you please," returned Stanley, who did on the instant strike out, and poor Dashall went down as if he really had been shot. The great man did not like even this. He looked as if it were a thing of which he could not approve-which was very extraordinary, seeing that it was precisely what he had just before solicited, and, while some of the juniors cheered very loudly, others looked very steadily at Stanley, as if lost in admiration of his prowess. Dashall, however, stood up again, and Stanley calmly put to him whether he really liked that practice better than the other, but as he replied with a well-intentioned lunge of desperation, Stanley stopped him, and down he went again. Another cheer burst from the juniors, and Dashall looked of scowl, which was in the abstract, no doubt, truly awful.— at them with an I'll-serve-you-out-when-I-catch-you-alone sort He, however, by no means gave in. Stanley urged him to do so; but, no! he wanted only to give one fair hit to be happy. He therefore guarded himself with additional caution, and Stanley, notwithstanding, with additional rapidity kept tapping him precisely upon the bridge of his nose. This he held to be about the most extraordinary thing in not a straw how imposing might be his attitude, how excelnature. He could not at at all understand it. It mattered lent his guard, how fiery his eye, or how fierce his general aspect, Stanley still kept on tapping and tapping, while he could do nothing whatever in return, although he plunged, and bucked, and bored, and jumped about in the most remarkable manner possible, and with a facility which was really very admirable in itself. The interest now became intense. It was perceived that the great man had screwed up his courage to a most ferocious pitch, although Stanley stood as calmly as ever. Dashall made a furious rush, and Stanley stopped him. This made him stand still for a moment, and look very wild, but on he rushed again. Stanley stopped again with his right, and with his left sent him down as before. This seemed to inspire him with the conviction that he had made a mistake altogether. He felt much confused, and looked very much annoyed, for it appeared to have struck him-which was really very singular-that he had had enough as nearly as possibly, which Stanley no sooner perceived than he drew off his gloves, and offered Dashall his hand, which at that moment happened to be precisely the very thing he was anxious to accept. "Well done!" he exclaimed, with a patronizing air, which was really very good of him. "Come, you are not a bad sort, after all! This is just what I call, you know, a friendly setto. You must be one of us after this!" And the great man shook Stanley by the hand with extreme cordiality, and labored very desperately and very laudably to conceal his confusion from those around, the whole of whom most uncharit ably and unanimously rejoiced at his defeat, før his overbear ing conduct, toward the smaller boys especially, had been intolerable. "Now then," said Julian, "come to Jolife's den. We have clubbed for a feed, and are going to be jolly together!" With this proposal Stanley was rather pleased; he therefore agreed to it at once, and went with Julian to the particular den in question, where he was hailed with three cheers, 83 "a miller of the first water," by a dozen of the élite, who had already established themselves in his room, with the view, ap parently, of proving how small is that space in which a dozen individuals can eat and be happy. Our hero, who now began to feel himself at home, surveyed this banqueting-hall with great minuteness. It was about eight feet by six, yet did it contain twelve mortals, a nice as sortment of candle-ends, a leaden inkstand, a table, a sofa, a lot of books, and sundry hampers. The ancient walls were emblazoned with highly colored portraits of prima donnas, pretty bar-maids, and theatrical warriors of every clime, while the spaces between them were appropriately embellished with elaborate drawings in pencil and chalk, of ships, monuments, and barns, with a few highly-finished and really artistical pro files of those masters and preceptors who had rendered them selves obnoxious, and who really seemed to have the most ex traordinary noses in nature. On the whole it will hence be inferred that this den looked particularly tidy; but that which at first puzzled Stanley more than all was the style in which his friends were addressed. Each appeared to have a soubriquet peculiar to himself, with which Stanley became acquainted on being informed, not merely in general terms, that all had subscribed to the feast, but that Bull's-eye, for example, had contributed a German sausage; the Nigger, a wild duck; Hokee Pokee, a pigeon pie; Macbeth, an extraordinary lot of gingerbread; Twankay, a lump of Stilton cheese; the Black Prince, a variety of raspberry tarts; Boggles, a Lilliputian ham; and Robin Hood, a Brobdignagian plum cake; while the worthy host, Caliban himself, had not only contributed a pheasant, but had secured two tankards of regulation ale. Of the whole of these delicacies each guest partook indiscriminately, freely, and with infinite gusto. The gingerbread, for instance, relished well with the German sausage; the raspberry tarts with the ham; the Stilton cheese with the pigeon pie; the plum cake with the pheasant. In fact, taken together, they formed so remarkable a relish, that it seemed to be a pity almost that the whole of them had not been mixed with the ale in the bucket before they began. Stanley never had seen a knot of fellows eat so fiercely; but their enjoyment was amazingly pure; and when they had stuffed themselves to their hearts' content, they kept up a perpetual rattle, in the gibberish peculiar to the school, having reference chiefly to their wonderful exploits during the vacation, until bed-time, when they wisely retired to their respective cribs in the merriest possible moood. During the two succeeding days the little tyrants of the Dashall caste reigned supreme over all but Stanley; but when the fifth and sixth began to arrive, they gradually sunk into the most minute insignificance The new boys wondered and walked about very mysteriously on witnessing the arrival of these tall fellows in their peajackets, wrappers, and cloaks, and retired for the night with about the same feelings as those which may reasonably be supposed to be entertained by convicts on their arrival in Van Dieman's Land, as they specu. late profoundly upon the character of the men to whom tyrannous Fate has consigned them. Stanley was, however, an exception to the rule: he had no such feelings to depress him; he was, on the contrary, pleased with the appearance of new arrivals, and fancied that he might study their style and general bearing with great advantage. On the following morning therefore, he set to work with a laudable view of qualitying himself for the Remove as soon as possible; but he had scarcely been working an hour when, to his astonishment, he was aroused by a desperate kick at his door, which served as a prelude to the following command. "I say, you new fellow, go to Fitzallan's study: he wants you." Stanley certainly conceived this to be rather unceremonious; but he, notwithstanding, went to that particular study, and knocked. "Come in!" cried Fitzallan, in an authoritative tone. Stanley entered, and found himself in the presence of three tall fellows, one of whom on the instant observed that he was a strapper, when Fitzallan gave it as his unbought opinion that he would do, and without farther ceremony told him to sit down. 64 To affirm that Stanley held this reception to be highly flattering were to affirm that which is by no means strictly true. He did not but he sat down, and waited with exemplary patience until some important matters then on hand had been arranged, when Fitzallan, addressing him again, said, Well, young fellow, and what can you do?" Stanley looked as if anxious for some slight explanation, when Fitzallan continued, Can you brush tongs, clean candlesticks well, and light fires." "Upon my word," replied Stanley, with a smile, "I cannot pretent to those delicate accomplishments. I really have not had much experience in such matters." "I did not suppose that you had. But take the mud off that peajacket. Come, let us see what you are made of." Stanley looked at the peajacket, and looked at Fitzalan, and then looked at Fitzallan's friends, but did not attempt to obey orders. "Do you hear?" cried Fitzallan, with a scowl. "I do," replied Stanley; "but as I think that you are equally competent to the task, I'll leave you to do it." Thereupon he rose and opened the door, and was just on the point of departing, when Fitzallan, starting up, caught him dexterously by the ear. At that moment Stanley did not smile-no, not even slightly -yet (and really it is a most extraordinary thing to place upon record) there was something in his look which had the effect of inducing Fitzallan to relinquish his hold. "I will not," said Stanley, firmly, " notice this. I am willing to look over it; but if you dare again to touch me, I'll strike you to the ground!" And having delivered himself precisely to this effect, he walked calmly from the room, leaving Fitzallan and his friends in a state of amazement. A short time after this Julian went to him. Really, Thorn," said he, "you have done wrong. I spoke to Fitzallan myself; he is one of the most gentlemanly felows in the school; and if you had consented to become his fag nominally, he would have treated you for my sake as a companion." 'Why," cried Stanley, "he commanded me to brush the mud off his peajacket! "Well, and what it he did?" rejoined Julian, soothingly. "It was simply because there were two of the Sixth with him." "I'd not do it for any one on earth!" cried Stanley. "I'd die first!" "But see what a position you place yourself in. If you'll not fag, you throw down the gauntlet. The fifth and sixth are sure to be at you." I do n't care. I'll do my best to beat them; but even should I fail, I 'll not fag." "Well, but just let me reason with you a little on this matter. If even you are able to beat them all, they are certain to make a dead set at you, and what will be the consequence? Can you stand flogging?" "No," replied Stanley, "decidedly not." "Then I'd strongly recommend you not to get out of bounds. If you do, the præposters are certain to catch you: in which case, of course, you'll be put in the bill." "And if I will not be flogged," rejoined Stanley, "what then?" But I am sorry you should have quarrelled with Fitzallan, for Why, in that case you'll be without ceremony expelled. he is really a good-hearted fellow. Come, let me go and tell him you did n't understand it?" 46 By no means," said Stanley; "I can perform such humiliating offices for no one." Julian now very plainly perceived that Stanley was not destined to remain long at Eton. He therefore gave him the best advice under the circumstances, strongly recommending him to keep within bounds; a course to which Stanley, knowing what would follow, most firmly resolved to adhere. Fitzallan, whose object in sending for Stanley was to serve him, and thus to oblige Julian, from whose family he had received many very kind attentions, took no farther notice of the matter; but Scott and Hampden, who were with him at the time, marked Stanley and closely watched him, in the lively expectation of catching him out of bounds. In this they were, however, disappointed. Nothing could tempt him to go a step beyond, knowing perfectly well what would be the result. Now it happened a short time after this affair that Joliffe, one of his most intimate companions, was flogged. The cause was very trifling, and the effect was not very severe; but, independently of the extreme indelicacy of the process-and it really is very indelicate-the degradation struck Stanley with so much force, that he at once resolved to manifest his abhorrence of this vile and disgusting species of punishment in a way which could not be mistaken. He accordingly conferred with his companions on the subject; and as they were equally anxious for the abolition of that species of punishment, contending very naturally, and very properly, that it ought at any rate to be confined to mere children, it was eventually resolved that they should get up a show of rebellion, than which at that period nothing could be more easy. Stanley was chosen their leader, and they certainly could not have elected a more experienced hand. He set to work as usual at once, and in earnest. Harry purchased an owl, which bore some resemblance to the then Lord Chief Justice a dozen lively sparrows, and an infinite variety of fulminating balls, it was arranged that he himself should take the management of his interesting ornithological curiosity; that Joliffe, Fox, and Villiers, should each have the command of four sparrows; and that to Howard and Cholmondeley should be entrusted the distribution of the fulminating balls. A certain evening was fixed upon for the commencement of the rebellion, and they took especial care that their plumed troop should go to work as hungry as possible. Well, the evening came, and the conspirators at the usual hour marched into school, There stood the reverend doctor with all the gravity at his command, while the various mas ters respectively sported a corresponding aspect of solemnity. The signal was given; a buzzing was heard--a buzzing to which the whole school had long been accustomed, the process being known as that of 'booing the master.' "Silence!" cried the doctor, who really seemed to anticipate a storm; but the buzzing continued, and gradually increased until indeed it appeared to be absolutely universal. "I'il flog the first boy I discover," said the doctor who held it, by virtue of some strange and inscrutable perversion of judgement, to be disgraceful. The buzzing, however, continued to increase; and it may be stated, as a most extraordinary fact, that although the lynxeyed doctor looked in every direction with really unexampled intensity and minuteness, not one of the rebels was he able to detect. What made it, under the circumstances, still more remarkable was, that they all seemed at that particular period to be studying with unprecedented zeal. "Silence!" again shouted the doctor. "I'll punish the whole school!" And he really did feel very angry at that moment. Just as he was solemnly promulgating something having reference to the highly unpopular process of taking away their holidays, which seemed to be generally understood and appreciated, Stanley, with all due gravity, drew the Lord Chief Justice from his pocket, and having given him an impetus in the perfect similitude of a pinch of the tail, allowed his lordship at once to take wing. Away flew the Lord Chief Justice very naturally straight for the chandelier, which was a fine large round one, in which between thirty and forty candles were burning brightly.Whizz! he went right in among them, knocking down a dozen at the first pass, he then turned and charged the rest, and down went a dozen more, again he turned and went at them and again. In short, his lordship seemed to feel himself bound to work away until he had knocked down the lot, and left the school in total darkness, for he scorned to give in until he had performed what he evidently conceived to be his duty, by achieving that object for which his introduction had been designed. The school was now in an uproar; the laughter on every side was tremendo is. The chief conspirators started three ear-piercing cheers, which were echoed by the rebels in the aggregate with consummate shrillness and effect, while Howard and Cholmondeley were busily engaged in strewing the fulminating balls about the gangway. The school was dark as pitch, and the rebels seemed to entertain an idea that the doctor was not very highly delighted. What tended more than all to confirm this impression was the heart-rending tone in which he called for more candles.The rebels, in general, however, held it to be glorious sport, and kept it up zealously, loudly, and boldly, until the fresh lights were produced. They could now see the doctor-they could see that he did not appreciate the fun-which was very extraordinary. They could not, however, be mistaken in this; for, instead of his being convulsed with merriment, he absolutely expressed what he felt very warmly, and gave each opinion with infinite point. The præposters were now directed to station themselves in various parts of the school, with the view of taking observations; but during their progress they walked, as a matter of course, upon the fulminating balls, which went bang! bang! bang! at every step. The doctor did not-he really could not-approve of these proceedings. On the contrary, he conceived them to be highly irregular, and very monstrous; and by the time he had delivered a few appropriate observations immediately bearing upon the point, the fresh lights were established-not again in the chandelier, but in various parts of the school. The instant this grand desideratum had been accomplished, Fox, Villiers, and Joliffe with surpassing dexterity drew forth their sparrows, which, in the common course of nature, made at once for the lights, and never left them till they had extinguished them all. The whole school was again in an uproar-the sport was held to be prime! The præpostors, who had for the few preceding minutes been standing quite still, now began again to move, and the fulminating balls again went bang! bang! More lights were demanded by the doctor; for being a man who was not a profound scholar merely, but one who looked at things in general with a learned spirit of human dealings, he very wisely imagined that the ammunition of the rebels had The doctor said something extremely severe, and his obser vations absolutely seemed to have reference to the subject; for, although he was indistinctly heard, he on the instant retired-of course in the dark. Now the proposters knew nothing of this conspiracy against the doctor's peace; but Scot and Hampden did, nevertheless, fix their suspicions at once upon Stanley. They knew that |ne had a number of satellites; they knew that those satellites were spirited, daring young dogs, who would by no means object to enter into such a conspiracy; and they moreover knew that if they could only bring it clearly home to him, they should have the extreme gratification of proving whether he would in reality suffer expulsion in preference to being flogged. With infinite zeal, therefore, they set to work, and eventually, by virtue of specious manœuvering, obtained a slight clue to the delinquency of Stanley, Fox, Villiers, and Howard. Even this was, however, deemed sufficient. Their suspicions were communicated to the doctor, and the day following that on which this communication was made, the doctor solemnly directed the delinquents to stand forth. Accordingly, they stood forth, and the doctor, in the first place, distinctly explained to them the nature of the charge; he then went on to illustrate the enormity of the offence; and having, in the third place, stated the penalty prescribed, he with all due solemnity observed, that as he had no absolute proof of their guilt, he should be perfectly satisfied that they were innocent if they would then declare that they were so, upon their honors as Etonians. Of course Stanley would not do this, nor would Villiers, nor would Fox, nor would Howard. They were silent. The question was again put; they made no reply. The doctor was therefore convinced that they were guilty. Now came the test. The suspense was profound. The doctor held a grave conference with the rest of the masters, of whom one distinctly intimated that, as it was their first of fence, they ought to be flogged, not expelled; and as this ap peared to be the general feeling among them, the doctor very pointedly put it to the chief delinquent whether he would con sent to be flogged. "No," replied Stanley, "decidedly not. It was to mark our sense of the indelicate character of that species of punishment that we acted as we did." The doctor looked with great earnestness at Stanley, and then turned and looked earnestly at his colleagues, who looked in return very earnestly at him. Without the slightest com ment, however, on the nature of this answer, the same ques tion was put to the others, who made, word for word, the same reply. Then," said the doctor, "I have but one course to pur sue;" and, in tones the most solemn and impressive, he added, "I hereby publicly expel you from this school, and entail upon you all the consequences thereof." The same day Stanley, Villiers, Fox, and Howard, in a post-chaise, left Eton together. CHAPTER III. shows precisely how persons can be placed in a peculiar position. It is probably one of the most striking truths in nature, that we are never inspired with a due appreciation of that which we have. We must lose it-no matter what it be, health, wealth, or any other acknowledged sublunary blessing-before our estimate of its value can be correct. Neither wives, husbands, parents, nor friends are duly estimated until they are gone. While we possess them, our process of valuation partakes of the character of that of the Israelites when about to purchase garments: we look with great minuteness at the defects, without a scruple, should it answer our immediate purpose to make them appear to be greater than they are; but when we lose them, their failings we magnify not, but, on the contrary, look at their virtues, and find those failings com. pletely eclipsed, |