Part 6 (2/2)

Julia bade us behave well or she would not be able to come out with us

At her entreaty Boddy stepped back to his post, and the two boats went forward like swans that have done ruffling their feathers

The boys were exceedingly disappointed that no catastrophe followed the events of the day Heriot, they thought, ht have upset the boat, saved Julia, and drowned Boddy, and given us a feast of pleasurable excitement: instead of which Boddy lived to harass us with his tyrannical impositions and spiteful slaps, and it was to hiracious Some of us discussed her conduct

'She's a coquette,' said little Temple I went off to the French dictionary

'Is Julia Rippenger a coquette, Heriot?' I asked hiirls out of your heads, you little fellows,' said he, dealing irl?' I persisted

'No, a nice one, as it happens,' was his answer

My only feeling was jealousy of the superior knowledge of the sex possessed by Te of coquette; but he had sisters Te how much ould forfeit for Heriot's sake By this tied, as it were, in the pit of the school, anddistinctness A series of boxes on the ears froer, too, threatened ht 'Yes,' said Temple and I, in chorus, 'but you daren't strike Heriot!' This was our consolation, and the sentiment of the school Fancy, then, our a the cane on Heriot's shoulders as fiercely as he could, and Boddy seconding hi evening tasks for theover us, and bellowing, 'Silence at your work, you lazy fellows, if you want lessons to be finished at ten in theup to us from below, up the stairs from the eather shed, and Heriot burst into the roo

'Mr Boddy, you were right,' he cried, 'I find hi all rules of discipline A perverted, impudent rascal! An exa lax What! I find the puppy in --he confesses--for one of my servants--here, Mr Boddy, if you please My school shall see that none insult me with impunity!' He laid on Heriot like a wind on a bulrush

Heriot bent his shoulders a trifle, not his head

'Hit away, sir,' he said, during the storined hile forced to bear the thunder, but with his face to it ThenBoddy lay hands on hi down pitched the usher, and the boys cheered--chirped, I should say, they exulted so, and ht or defiance After the fall of Boddy we had no sense of our hero suffering sha as the bloent on We hoped for Boddy to make another atte ready to spring, like a sallow panther; we kept hoping he would, in our horror of the murderous slashes of the cane; and not a syllable did Heriot utter Te to do, or of anything until we had got a blow a-piece, and were in the thick of it, and Boddy had us both by the collars, and was knocking our heads together, as he dragged us back to our seats But the boys told us we stopped the execution Mr Rippenger addressed us before he left the school-rooed their ears with their fists That night Boddy and Cat and conspiracy, they said I longed to get ht of hi what ay as ever, but had fits of reserve; the word passed round that ere not to talk of yesterday evening We feared he would refuse to play in the rily 'Has Saddlebank broken his arm, and can't bowl?'

No, Saddlebank was in excellent tri boys were They begged Heriot to let them shake his hand

'Wait till in ourprayers

'Ah,' said Te' It had nearly made him sick, he added, and I immediately felt that it had nearly made me sick

We supposed we should not see Julia at the match She came, however, and talked to everybody I could not contain myself, I wanted so to tell her what had befallen Heriot overnight, while he was batting, and the whole ground cheering his hits I on one side of her whispered:

'I say, Julia, my dear, I say, do you know'

And Temple on the other: 'Miss Julia, I wish you'd let ed to arouse her pity for Heriot at thehim, but she checked us, and as she was surrounded by ladies and gentlemen of the town, and particular friends of hers, we could not speak out Heriot brought his bat to the booth for eighty-nine runs His sleeve happened to be unbuttoned, and there, on his arm, was a mark of the cane

'Look!' I said to Julia But she looked at me

'Richie, are you ill?'

She assuredexcessively, and her parasol was covering us

'Here, Roy, Temple,' we heard Heriot call; 'here, come here and bowl to me'