‘Cumbermede,’ he said sternly, ‘you sleep in No. 5 until further orders.’ ‘Very well, sir,’ I said, and went, but lingered long enough to hear the fate of Charley. ‘Home,’ said Mr Forest, ‘you go to No. 3.’ That was our room. ‘Home,’ I said, having lingered on the stairs until he appeared, ‘you don’t bear me a grudge, do you?’ ‘It was my fault,’ said Home. ‘I had no right to pitch into you. Only you’re such a cool beggar! But, by Jove! I didn’t think Forest would have been so unfair. If you forgive me, I’ll forgive you.’ ‘If I hadn’t stood up to you, I couldn’t,’ I returned. ‘I knew I hadn’t a chance. Besides, I hadn’t any breakfast.’ ‘I was a brute,’ said Home. ‘Oh, I don’t mind for myself; but there’s Osborne! I wonder you could hit _him_.’ ‘He shouldn’t have jawed me,’ said Home. ‘But you did first.’ We had reached the door of the room which had been Home’s and was now to be mine, and went in together. ‘Didn’t you now?’ I insisted. ‘Well, I did; I confess I did. And it was very plucky of him.’ ‘Tell him that, Home,’ I said. ‘For God’s sake tell him that. It will comfort him. You must be kind to him, Home. We’re not so bad as Forest takes us for.’ ‘I will,’ said Home. And he kept his word. We were never allowed to share the same room again, and school was not what it had been to either of us. Within a few weeks Charley’s father, to our common dismay, suddenly appeared, and the next morning took him away. What he said to Charley I do not know. He did not take the least notice of me, and I believe would have prevented Charley from saying good-bye to me. But just as they were going Charley left his father’s side, and came up to me with a flush on his face and a flash in his eye that made him look more manly and handsome than I had ever seen him, and shook hands with me, saying-- ‘It’s all right--isn’t it, Wilfrid?’ ‘It _is_ all right, Charley, come what will,’ I answered. ‘Good-bye then, Wilfrid.’ ‘Good-bye, Charley.’ And so we parted. I do not care to say one word more about the school. I continued there for another year and a half. Partly in misery, partly in growing eagerness after knowledge, I gave myself to my studies with more diligence. Mr Forest began to be pleased with me, and I have no doubt plumed himself on the vigorous measures by which he had nipped the bud of my infidelity. For my part I drew no nearer to him, for I could not respect or trust him after his injustice. I did my work for its own sake, uninfluenced by any desire to please him. There was, in fact, no true relation between us any more. I communicated nothing of what had happened to my uncle, because Mr Forest’s custom was to read every letter before it left the house. But I longed for the day when I could tell the whole story to the great, simple-hearted man. CHAPTER XXIII. ONLY A LINK.