Just as he finished they were called up, and Barker, taking the paper,
succeeded in pinning it as usual on the front of the desk. Eric had
never seen it done so carelessly and clumsily before, and firmly
believed, what was indeed a fact, that Barker had done it badly on
purpose, in the hope that it might be discovered, and so Eric be got
once more into a scrape. He was in an agony of apprehension, and when
put on, was totally unable to say a word of his Rep. But low as he had
fallen, he would not cheat like the rest; he kept his eyes resolutely
turned away from the guilty paper, and even refused to repeat the words
which were prompted in his ear by the boys on each side. Mr. Gordon,
after waiting a moment, said--

"Why, Sir, you know nothing about it; you can't have looked at it. Go to
the bottom and write it out five times."

"_Write it out_" thought Eric; "this is retribution, I suppose;" and
covered with shame and vexation, he took his place below the malicious
Barker at the bottom of the form.

It happened that during the lesson the fire began to smoke, and Mr.
Gordon told Owen to open the window for a moment. No sooner was this
done than the mischievous whiff of sea air which entered the room began
to trifle and coquet with the perdulous half sheet pinned in front of
the desk, causing thereby an unwonted little pattering crepitation. In
alarm, Duncan thoughtlessly pulled out the pin, and immediately the
paper floated gracefully over Russell's head, as he sat at the top of
the form, and, after one or two gyrations, fluttered down in the centre
of the room.

"Bring me that piece of paper," said Mr. Gordon, full of vague