Howard Minturn stood aghast! That Ellis Holbrook, his best friend, and the very pink of honour among the boys, should do so mean a thing, he could not think, and yet it was hard to think that Tip had not told the truth. "What does he mean, Ellis?" he asked at last. "You'll have to ask him if you want to find out," said Ellis haughtily. "He knows better than anybody else what he means, I guess." The boys started homeward presently in a body. Bob Turner and his friends surrounded Tip, and Bob, who never lost a good opportunity for teasing, commenced at once: "Poor little fellow, missed his lesson, so he did. Don't him cry; him shall have a penny to buy a multiplication-table with." "Hold your tongue!" answered Tip, too angry to see how foolish it was to let such words, coming from a boy who didn't know a single line of the multiplication-table, provoke him. "_Such_ a pity!" began Bob again; "when it had spelled its lesson all so nice, and had its face washed and its hair combed so pretty. Mustn't cry now, to spoil its face. Poor little fellow!" Tip turned to his tormentor a face perfectly white with rage, and the boys hardly knew his voice: "Bob Turner, if you say another word, I'll knock you down and thrash you within an inch of your life. I will"-- Oh, Tip Lewis! God forgive you for the way in which you in your blind rage have finished that sentence,--for the use which you have made of that great Name, which above all others you profess to reverence and fear! The awful word, once spoken, recalled him to himself: he clapped both hands over his face and ran wildly up the hill, then down out of sight. The boys had all heard it. Howard, Ellis, Will Bailey, and a half-dozen others, were just behind him. Ellis Holbrook's pride rose high. "There's your wonderful boy," he said, "who was so changed, and has taken it upon himself to preach so many sermons to _me_. I'm sure I never finished any of my angry speeches with an oath, if I _am_ so far below him." What an afternoon that was to Tip! he will _never_ forget it. He went no farther than the great tree, which was budding out in spring green. Down he sat on a stone, and once more covered his face with his hands, and such a storm of rage and pain swept over him as he had never known before. How could he, how _could_ he have said that word? Ever since he had learned to pray, he had been afraid of that sin,--afraid he might forget, and go back to his old habits, and he had watched and guarded his lips with such care and prayer. But lately he had given up all fear; it had been such a long time, and he had never once fallen, he felt sure that he never would again.