"This _won't_ do," said Duncan emphatically, after a louder burst of merriment than usual; "those fellows are getting drunk; I can tell it to a certainty from the confused and random way, in which some of them are talking." "We'd better go in and speak to them," said Montagu; "at any rate, they've no right to disturb us all night. Will you come?" "I'll join you," said Owen; "though I'm afraid my presence won't do you much good." The three boys went to the door of Eric's study and their knock could not at first be heard for the noise. When they went in they found a scene of reckless disorder; books were scattered about, plates and glasses lay broken on the floor, beer was spilt on all sides, and there was an intolerable smell of brandy. "If you fellows don't take care," said Duncan sharply, "Rose or somebody'll be coming up and catching you. It's ten now." "What's that to you?" answered Graham, with an insolent look. "It's something to me that you nice young men have been making such a row that none of the rest of us can hear our own voices, and that between you you've made this study in such a mess that I can't endure it." "Pooh!" said Pietrie; "we're all getting such saints, that one can't have the least bit of spree nowadays." "Spree!" burst in Montagu indignantly; "fine spree--to make sots of yourselves with spirits; fine spree to--" "Amen!" said Wildney, who was perched on the back of a chair; and he turned up his eyes and clasped his hands with a mock-heroic air. "There, Williams," continued Montagu, pointing to the mischievous-looking little boy; "see that spectacle, and be ashamed of yourself, if you can. That's what you lead boys to! Are you anxious to become the teacher of drunkenness?" In truth, there was good ground for his sorrowful apostrophe, for the scene was very painful to a high-minded witness. They hardly understood the look on Eric's countenance; he had been taking far more than was good for him; his eyes sparkled fiercely, and though as yet he said nothing, he seemed to be resenting the intrusion in furious silence. "How much longer is this interesting lecture to last?" asked Ball, with his usual insufferable tone; "for I want to finish my brandy." Montagu rather looked as if he intended to give the speaker a box on the ear; but he was just deciding that he wasn't worth the trouble, when Wildney, who had been grimacing all the time, burst into a fit of satirical laughter. "Here, Wildney," said Graham; "just hand me _The Whole Duty of Man_, or something of that sort, from the shelf, will you? That's a brick." "Certainly. Let's see; Watts's Hymns; _I_ bag those for myself," said Wildney; "they'll just suit--" "How doth the little--"