'Thanks, Cameron,' he said, with a sweetness which I distrusted, for he was not as a rule so lavish in his gratitude. 'I've copied out that exercise of yours, but it's written so beastly badly that you'd better do it over again.' With which he deliberately tore the page he had been copying from to scraps, which he threw in my face, and strolled out down to the playground. I was preparing submissively to do the exercise over again as well as I could in the short time that was left, when I was startled by a low cry of indignation, and, looking round, saw Marjory standing in the doorway, and knew by her face that she had seen all. 'Has Ormsby done that to you before?' she inquired. 'Once or twice he has,' said I. 'And you let him!' she cried. 'Oh, Cameron!' 'What can I do?' I said. 'I know what _I_ would do,' she replied. 'I would slap his face, or pinch him. I wouldn't put up with it!' 'Boys don't slap one another, or pinch,' I said, not displeased to find a weak place in her knowledge of us. 'Well, they do _something_!' she said; 'a real boy would. But I don't think you are a real boy, Cameron. _I'll_ show you what to do. Where's the exercise that--that _pig_ copied? Ah! I see it. And now--look!' (Here she tore his page as he had torn mine.) 'Now for an envelope!' and from the Doctor's own desk she took an envelope, in which she placed the fragments, and wrote on the outside in her round, childish hand: 'With Marjory's compliments, for being a bully.' 'He won't do that again,' she said gleefully. 'He'll do worse,' I said in dismay; 'I shall have to pay for it. Marjory, why didn't you leave things alone? I didn't complain--you know I didn't.' She turned upon me, as well she might, in supreme disdain. 'Oh! what a coward you are! I wouldn't believe all Cartwright told me about you when I asked--but I see it's all true. Why don't you stick up for yourself?' I muttered something or other. 'But you _ought_ to. You'll never get on unless,' said Marjory, very decidedly. 'Now, promise me you will, next time.' I sat there silent. I was disgusted with myself, and meanly angry with her for having rendered me so. 'Then, listen,' she said impressively. 'I promised I would look after you, and I did mean to, but it's no use if you won't help yourself. So, unless you say you won't go on being a coward any more, I shall have to leave you to your own way, and not take the least interest in you ever again.' 'Then, you may,' I said stolidly; 'I don't care.' I wondered, even while I spoke the words, what could be impelling me to treat spirited, warm-hearted Marjory like that, and I hate myself still at the recollection. 'Good-bye, then,' she said very quietly; 'I'm sorry, Cameron.' And she went out without another word.