He pointed to a party of boys, four or five, all lying on a pleasant grass bank, smoking pipes. Prominent among them was Eric, stretched at ease, and looking up at the clouds, towards which curled the puffed fumes of his meerschaum, a gift of Wildney's. That worthy was beside him similarly employed. The two sixth-form boys hoped to pass by unobserved, as they did not wish for a rencontre with our hero under such circumstances. But they saw Wildney pointing to them, and, from the fits of laughter which followed his remarks, they had little doubt that they were the subject of the young gentleman's wit. This is never a pleasant sensation; but they observed that Eric made a point of not looking their way, and went on in silence. "How very sad!" said Montagu. "How very contemptible!" said Owen. "Harfagher among his subjects!" "Did you observe what they were doing?" "Smoking?" "Worse than that a good deal. They were doing something which, if Eric doesn't take care, will one day be his ruin." "What?" "I saw them drinking. I have little doubt it was brandy." "Good heavens!" "It is getting a common practice with some fellows. One of the ripples, you see, of Brigson's influence." Before they got home they caught up Wright and Vernon, and walked in together. "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 dishonourable 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," as they called it, that evening.