again, he spoke so indistinctly with his deep, gruff voice, that Eric
never could and never did syllable a word he said, and this kept him in
a perpetual terror. Once Mr. Lawley had told him to go out, and see what
time it was by the church clock. Only hearing that he was to do
something, too frightened to ask what it was, and feeling sure that even
if he did, he should not understand what the master said, Eric ran out,
went straight to Mr. Lawley's house, and after having managed by
strenuous jumps to touch the knocker, informed the servant "that Mr.
Lawley wanted his man."

"What man?" said the maid-servant, "the young man? or the butler? or is
it the clerk?"

Here was a puzzler! all Eric knew was that he was in the habit of
sending sometimes for one or the other of these functionaries; but he
was in for it, so with a faltering voice he said "the young man" at
hazard, and went back to the Latin school.

"Why have you been so long?" roared Mr. Lawley, as he timidly entered.
Fear entirely prevented Eric from hearing what was said, so he answered
at random, "He's coming, sir." The master, seeing by his scared look
that something was wrong, waited to see what would turn up.

Soon after, in walked "the young man," and coming to the astonished Mr.
Lawley, bowed, scraped, and said, "Master Williams said you sent for
me, sir."

"A mistake," growled the schoolmaster, turning on Eric a look which
nearly petrified him; he quite expected a book at his head, or at best a
great whack of the cane; but Mr. Lawley had naturally a kind heart,