an avowal of his part, but he whispered: "Not yet," and waited,
blushing.

"Then the whole class shall do two hours' extra work."

The words were scarcely out of Mr. Cæsar's mouth, before every boy
was protesting. I caught above the confusion such complaints as:
"Oh, sir!" "But _really_, sir," or a more sullen: "I never touched
the beastly clock!" or even a frank: "I won't do it." I observed
that Penny was taking advantage of the noise to deliver an emotional
sermon, which he accompanied with passionate gestures and concluded
by turning eastward and profanely repeating the ascription: "And now
to God the Father--"

A sudden silence, and every boy sits awkwardly in his place.
Radley's tall figure stood in the room: and the door was being shut
by his hand. I kept my eyes fixed on him. I was changed. I no longer
felt disorderly nor impudent: for disorderliness and impudence in me
were but unnatural efforts to copy Pennybet, that master-fool. I
dropped into my natural self, a thing of shyness and diffidence. I
was not conscious of any ill-will towards Radley for returning to
his class-room, when he was not expected; it was just a piece of bad
fortune for me. I was about to be "whacked," I knew; and, though I
did not move, I felt strange emotions within me. Certainly I was a
little afraid, for Radley whacked harder than they all.

And then, as usual, my brain ran down a wildly irrelevant course. I
reflected that the height of my ambition would be reached, if I
could grow into as tall a man as Radley. My frame, at present, gave
no promise of developing into that of a very tall man; but