'Don't be a bigger duffer than you are, Flo. You can't help being a girl, I know; but I'm willing to help you all I can out of a girl's foolishness. Only a girl would talk of ringing the bell, and making a row, because she can't have all her own way. Come now, I want to talk to you about the new boy, and we can finish the lesson afterwards.' 'But you say you don't know anything about him, and so there's nothing to talk about,' said his sister. 'Yes, that's just it. Why shouldn't the fellow tell us who his people are, where he comes from, and what he's going to do with himself by-and-by?' It was his sister's turn to laugh now. 'What queer notions boys have!' she exclaimed. 'I suppose you expect a new scholar to come and say, "My father is a doctor, or a lawyer, and we have three servants at our house," as soon as the master has introduced him to the class.' A ball of paper was levelled at Duffy's head for this remark. 'Who said he was to do it the first day or the second day? But when a fellow has been there nearly a fortnight you expect to hear something about who he is.' 'But suppose he don't choose to tell you, what then?' 'Yes, that's it. How are we going to make him? What would you do, Duffy? That's what I want to know.' 'Oh, I'm only a girl,' said Duffy with a laugh. 'I can't be expected to understand boys' affairs like that.' 'Yes, you do--that's just what girls do understand. We can't have a good stand up fight, which is the way we generally settle things.' 'Why not? If the new boy won't do as the rest tell him, then fight it out, if he won't give in!' Leonard heaved a sigh of despair. 'There never was anything half so stupid as a girl!' he exclaimed. 'Do you think if it was anything we could settle off-hand like that I should ask you about it?' 'Well, tell me what it is, and I'll help you if I can. What is the new boy like?' she asked. 'Oh, like most other fellows, I suppose, or at least he was the first day, I know, for I took particular notice as he came into the class; but the last day or two he has come in a jacket that ought to have gone to the rag-bag three months ago, and----' 'But his jacket can't hurt you,' interrupted his sister, 'you don't have to wear it.' 'You stupid duffer! don't he go to Torrington's, I tell you, and haven't we got to stand up for the honour of the school?' 'Who--the boys or the head master?' asked Duffy innocently. 'Why, all of us, to be sure, and we mean to do it too. Why, Torrington's is as good as Eton.' 'Oh yes, of course it's a good school,' admitted Duffy. 'Yes, and we mean to keep it so; we don't mean to have any cads among us.' 'Is the new boy a cad, then?' asked his sister. 'He can't be anything else, if the story Bob Taylor has heard is true. He brought it to school yesterday, and says he knows it is a fact That the new fellow is a scholarship boy from one of those low board schools in Middleton, and that he walks back to the town every day.'