"I am in God's presence, Yorke, as well as in yours," cried the boy,
reverently; "and I will not tell a lie."

"Then take your whacking! I'll teach you what it is to invent
fabrications! I'll put you up for--"

Yorke's tongue and hands stopped. Turning out of the private
cloister-entrance of the deanery, right upon them, had come Dr.
Gardner, one of the prebendaries. He cast a displeased glance at Yorke,
not speaking; and little Channing, touching his trencher to the doctor,
flew to the place where he had left his books, caught them up, and ran
out of the cloisters towards home.





CHAPTER II.


BAD NEWS.

The ground near the cathedral, occupied by the deanery and the
prebendal residences, was called the Boundaries. There were a few other
houses in it, chiefly of a moderate size, inhabited by private
families. Across the open gravel walk, in front of the south cloister
entrance, was the house appropriated to the headmaster; and the
Channings lived in a smaller one, nearly on the confines of the
Boundaries. A portico led into it, and there was a sitting-room on