“We’ve been talking,” said Wright, “about a bad matter. Vernon here says that there’s no good working for a prize in his form, because the cribbing’s so atrocious. Indeed, it’s very nearly as bad in my form. It always is under Gordon; he _can’t_ understand fellows doing dishonorable things.” “It’s a great bore in the weekly examinations,” said Vernon; “every now and then Gordon will even leave the room for a few minutes, and then out come dozens of books.” “Well, Wright,” said Montagu, “if that happens again next examination, I’d speak out about it.” “How?” “Why, I’d get every fellow who disapproves of it to give me his name, and get up and read the list, and say that you at least have pledged yourselves not to do it.” “Humph! I don’t know how that would answer. They’d half kill me for one thing.” “Never mind; do your duty. I wish I’d such an opportunity, if only to show how sorry I am for my own past unfairness.” And so talking, the four went in, and the two elder went to their study. It was too true that drinking had become a common vice at Roslyn school. Accordingly, when Eric came in with Wildney about half an hour after, Owen and Montagu heard them talk about ordering some brandy, and then arrange to have a “jollification,” that evening. They got the brandy through “Billy.” One of Brigson’s most cursed legacies to the school was the introduction of this man to a nefarious intercourse with the boys. His character was so well known that it had long been forbidden, under the strictest penalty, for any boy ever to speak to him; yet, strange to say, they seemed to take a pleasure in doing so, and just now particularly it was thought a fine thing, a sign of “pluck” and “anti-muffishness,” to be on familiar and intimate terms with that degraded and villainous scoundrel. Duncan had made friends again with Eric; but he did not join him in his escapades and excesses, and sat much in other studies. He had not been altogether a good boy, but yet there was a sort of rough honesty and good sense about him, which preserved him from the worst and most dangerous failings, and his character had been gradually improving as he mounted higher in the school. He was getting steadier, more diligent, more thoughtful, more manly; he was passing through that change so frequent in boys as they grow older, to which Eric was so sad an exception. Accordingly Duncan, though sincerely fond of Eric, had latterly disapproved vehemently of his proceedings, and had therefore taken to snubbing his old friend Wildney, in whose favor Eric seemed to have an infatuation, and who was the means of involving him in every kind of impropriety and mischief. So that night Duncan, hearing of what was intended, sat in the next study, and Eric, with Bull, Wildney, Graham, and Pietrie, had the room to themselves. Several of them were lower boys still, but they came to the studies after bed-time, according to Wildney’s almost nightly custom.