The struggle now became very exciting, and as Franklin and Henderson again cleared the bar at the height of four feet four, each of them were loudly clapped. But Walter--who jumped last always, because he had been the last candidate to come forward--although he cleared it with an easy bound, received no sign of encouragement from any of the boys. He cleared it in perfect silence, only broken by Mr Paton, who was looking on with a group of other masters, and who said encouragingly, "Very well done, Evson; capital!" The bar was raised an inch, and again the three boys cleared it, and again the first two were greeted with applause, and Walter was left unnoticed except by Power and Kenrick, who applauded him heartily, and patted him on the back. But indeed their clapping only served to throw into stronger relief the loud applause which the others received. Walter almost wished that they would desist. He was greatly agitated; and his friends saw that he was trembling with emotion. He had been much mortified the first time to be thus pointedly scorned in so large a crowd of strangers, and made a marked object of reprobation before them all; but that this open shame should be thus _steadily_ and _continuously_ put upon him, made his heart swell with sorrow and indignation at the ungenerous and unforgiving spirit of his schoolfellows. Once more the bar was raised an inch. The other two got over it amid a burst of applause, and this time Walter, who was unnerved by the painful circumstances in which he found himself, brushed against it as he came over, and knocked it off. The bar was replaced, and at his second trial (for three were allowed) he jumped so well that he flew easily over it. Always before, a boy who had recovered himself after a failure had been saluted with double cheering, but again Walter's proceedings were observed by that large crowd in dead silence, while he could not help overhearing the whispered queries which asked an explanation of so unusual a circumstance. "Why don't they cheer him as well as the others?" asked a fair young girl of her brother. "He looks such a nice boy." "Because he did a very shabby thing not long ago," was the reply. He could stand it no longer. He glanced round at the speakers more in sorrow than in anger, and then, instead of returning to the starting-point, he turned hastily aside, and, declining the contest, plunged into the thickest of the crowd. "Evson's giving it up. What a pity!" said several boys. "No wonder he's giving it up," said Power indignantly, "after the way you fellows treat him. Never mind them, Walter," he said, taking him by the arm; "they will be ashamed of themselves by and by." "You're not going to withdraw, Evson?" asked one of the chief athletes, in a kind tone. "Yes," said Walter, retiring still farther to hide himself amid the crowd. "Nonsense!" said Henderson, who had heard the answer; "come, Walter, it'll spoil all the fun if you don't go on."