"Fight!" said Mr Robertson; "look at those two boys, and don't talk nonsense to me." "I oughtn't to have let them fight, I know," said Cradock; "and I wish, sir, you'd put Harpour and Jones into another room, they're always bullying Eden, and it was for him that Evson fought." "Harpour," said Mr Robertson, "you are absolutely despicable; a viler figure than you present at this moment could not be conceived. I shall move you to another dormitory, where some monitor can restrain your brutality; and, meanwhile, I confine you to gates for a month, and you will bring me up one hundred lines every day till further notice." He was leaving the room, but catching sight of Walter, he returned, and said kindly, "Evson, my poor boy, I'm afraid you're sadly hurt; I'm truly sorry for you; you seem to have been behaving in a very noble way, and I honour you. Henderson, I think you'd better go with him to Dr Keith," he continued; for Walter, though he heard what was said, was too much hurt and shaken to speak a word. "Come, Walter," said Henderson, gently helping him to rise; "I hope you're not very much hurt, old fellow. That brute Harpour won't trouble you again, anyhow; nor his parasite Jones. Lean on my arm. Franklin, you come and give Walter your arm, too." They helped him to the sickroom, for he could barely trail his legs after him. Dr Keith laid him down quietly on a sofa, put some arnica to the bruises on his face, and told him to lie still and go quietly to sleep. "He is not very much hurt," he said, in answer to the inquiries of the boys; "but the fall he has had is quite sufficiently serious in its consequences to render absolute rest necessary to him for some days. You may come and see him sometimes." "And now, you fellow, Harpour," said Henderson, re-entering the dormitory; "as you've knocked up Evson, and half killed Eden, _I'll_ tell Somers. Do you hear? and I hope he'll thrash you till you can't stand." "He daren't; Robertson's punished me already." "He dare, and will; you won't get off so lightly as all that." "You're a set of sneaks; and I'll be even with you yet," growled Harpour, too much cowed to resent Henderson's defiance. Henderson laughed scornfully; and Cradock said, "And _I'll_ tell the whole school what bullies you've been, Harpour and Jones." "And _I_," said Franklin; "I don't envy you two." "The school doesn't consist altogether of such softs as your lot, luckily," answered Harpour. "Softs or not, we've put a spoke in _your_ wheel for the present," answered Franklin. "I congratulate you on the rich black eye which one of the softs, half your size, has given you." "They're not worth snarling with, Franklin," said Henderson; "we shall be rid of him and Jones from Number 10 henceforth; that's one blessing." CHAPTER TWENTY SIX. A TURBULENT SCHOOL MEETING. I hate when vice can bolt her arguments, And virtue have no tongue to check her pride. Milton's Comus.