Just as he finished they were called up, and Barker, taking the paper, succeeded in pinning it as usual on the front of the desk. Eric had never seen it done so carelessly and clumsily before, and firmly believed, what was indeed a fact, that Barker had done it badly on purpose, in the hope that it might be discovered, and so Eric be got once more into a scrape. He was in an agony of apprehension, and when put on, was totally unable to say a word of his Rep. But low as he had fallen, he would not cheat like the rest; he kept his eyes resolutely turned away from the guilty paper, and even refused to repeat the words which were prompted in his ear by the boys on each side. Mr. Gordon, after waiting a moment, said-- “Why, Sir, you know nothing about it; you can’t have looked at it. Go to the bottom and write it out five times.” “_Write it out_” thought Eric; “this is retribution, I suppose;” and covered with shame and vexation, he took his place below the malicious Barker at the bottom of the form. It happened that during the lesson the fire began to smoke, and Mr. Gordon told Owen to open the window for a moment. No sooner was this done than the mischievous whiff of sea air which entered the room began to trifle and coquet with the perdulous half sheet pinned in front of the desk, causing thereby an unwonted little pattering crepitation. In alarm, Duncan thoughtlessly pulled out the pin, and immediately the paper floated gracefully over Russell’s head, as he sat at the top of the form, and, after one or two gyrations, fluttered down in the centre of the room. “Bring me that piece of paper,” said Mr. Gordon, full of vague suspicion. Several boys moved uneasily, and Eric looked nervously around. “Did you hear? fetch me that half sheet of paper.” A boy picked it up and handed it to him. He held it for a full minute in his hands without a word, while vexation, deep disgust, and rising anger struggled in his countenance. At last, he suddenly turned full on Eric, whose writing he recognized, and broke out, “So, Sir! a second time caught in gross deceit. I should not have thought it possible. Your face and manners belie you. You have lost my confidence forever. I _despise_ you.” “Indeed, Sir,” said the penitent Eric, “I never meant--” “Silence--you are detected, as cheats always will be. I shall report you to Dr. Rowlands.” The next boy was put on, and broke down. The same with the next, and the next, and the next; Montagu, Graham, Llewellyn, Duncan, Barker, all hopeless failures; only two boys had said it right--Russell and Owen.