"I wonder at your speaking to that fellow," said Bull, as the two new
comers joined the group at the fire-place.

"You will be yourself ashamed of having ever suspected him before long,"
said Montagu warmly; "ay, the whole lot of you; and you are very unkind
to condemn him before you are certain."

"I wish you joy of your _friend_, Duncan," sneered Barker.

"Friend?" said Duncan, firing up; "yes! he is my friend, and I'm not
ashamed of him. It would be well for the school if _all_ the fellows
were as honorable as Williams."

Barker took the hint, and although he was too brazen to blush, thought
it better to say no more.



CHAPTER XII

THE TRIAL

"A plot, a plot, a plot, to ruin all." TENNYSON, _The Princess_.

On the Monday evening, the head boy reported to Dr. Rowlands that the
perpetrator of the offence had not been discovered, but that one boy was
very generally suspected, and on grounds that seemed plausible. "I
admit," he added, "that from the little I know of him he seems to me a
very unlikely sort of boy to do it."