Avonley did as the Doctor suggested. At first, when the boys assembled, they seemed inclined to treat the matter as a joke, and were rather disorderly; but Avonley briefly begged them, if they determined to have a trial, to see that it was conducted sensibly; and by general consent he was himself voted into the desk as president. He then got up and said-- "There must be no sham or nonsense about this affair. Let all the boys take their seats quietly down the room." They did so, and Avonley asked, "Is Williams here?" Looking round, they discovered he was not. Russell instantly went to the library to fetch him, and told him what was going on. He took Eric's arm kindly as they entered, to show the whole school that he was not ashamed of him, and Eric deeply felt the delicacy of his goodwill. "Are you willing to be tried, Williams," asked Avonley, "on the charge of having written the insulting paper about Mr Gordon? Of course we know very little how these kind of things ought to be conducted, but we will see that everything done is open and above ground, and try to manage it properly." "There is nothing I should like better," said Eric. He had quite recovered his firm manly bearing. A quiet conversation with his dearly loved friend and master had reassured him in the confidence of innocence, and though the colour on his cheeks had through excitement sunk into two bright red spots, he looked wonderfully noble and winning as he stood before the boys in the centre of the room, modest, and yet with the proud consciousness of innocence in his bearing. His appearance caused a little reaction in his favour, and a murmur of applause followed his answer. "Good," said Avonley; "who will prosecute on the part of the school?" There was a pause. Nobody seemed to covet the office. "Very well; if no one is willing to prosecute, the charge drops." "I will do it," said Gibson, a Rowlandite, one of the study-boys at the top of the fifth-form. He was a clever fellow, and Eric liked the little he had seen of him. "Have you any objection, Williams, to the jury being composed of the sixth-form? or are there any names among them which you wish to challenge?" "No," said Eric, glancing round indifferently. "Well, now, who will defend the accused?" Another pause, and Upton got up. "No," said Eric at once. "You were inclined to distrust me, Upton, and I will only be defended by somebody who never doubted my innocence." Another pause followed, and then, blushing crimson, Russell got up. "I am only a Shell boy," he said; "but if Eric doesn't mind trusting his cause to me, I will defend him since no other fifth-form fellow stirs." "Thank you, Russell, I _wanted_ you to offer; I could wish no better defender." "Will Owen, Duncan, and Montagu help me, if they can?" asked Russell.