whichsamesermonsankintothemall，moreorless，andverypenitenttheywereforseveralhours。ButtruthcompelsmetoadmitthatEast，atanyrate，forgotitallinaweek，butrememberedtheinsultwhichhadbeenputuponhimbyFarmerThompson，andwiththeTadpoleandotherhair-brainedyoungsterscommittedaraidonthebarnsoonafterwards，inwhichtheywerecaughtbytheshepherdsandseverelyhandled，besideshavingtopayeightshillings——allthemoneytheyhadintheworld——toescapebeingtakenuptotheDoctor。
　　Martinbecameaconstantinmateinthejointstudyfromthistime，andArthurtooktohimsokindlythatTomcouldn’tresistslightfitsofjealousy，which，however，hemanagedtokeeptohimself。Thekestrel’seggshadnotbeenbroken，strangetosay，andformedthenucleusofArthur’scollection，atwhichMartinworkedheartandsoul，andintroducedArthurtoHowlettthebird-fancier，andinstructedhimintherudimentsoftheartofstuffing。Intokenofhisgratitude，ArthurallowedMartintotattooasmallanchorononeofhiswrists；whichdecoration，however，hecarefullyconcealedfromTom。Beforetheendofthehalf-yearhehadtrainedintoaboldclimberandgoodrunner，and，asMartinhadforetold，knewtwiceasmuchabouttrees，birds，flowers，andmanyotherthings，asourgood-heartedandfacetiousyoungfriendHarryEast。
　　:
　　“SurgebatMacnevisiusEtmoxjactabatultro，PugnabotuagratiaFerocihocMactwoltro。“-Etonian。
　　Thereisacertainsortoffellow——wewhoareusedtostudyingboysallknowhimwellenough——ofwhomyoucanpredicatewithalmostpositivecertainty，afterhehasbeenamonthatschool，thatheissuretohaveafight，andwithalmostequalcertaintythathewillhavebutone。TomBrownwasoneofthese；andasitisourwell-weighedintentiontogiveafull，true，andcorrectaccountofTom’sonlysinglecombatwithaschool-fellowinthemannerofouroldfriendBell’sLife，letthoseyoungpersonswhosestomachsarenotstrong，orwhothinkagoodset-
　　towiththeweaponswhichGodhasgivenusallanuncivilized，unchristian，orungentlemanlyaffair，justskipthischapteratonce，foritwon’tbetotheirtaste。
　　ItwasnotatallusualinthosedaysfortwoSchool-houseboystohaveafight。Ofcoursetherewereexceptions，whensomecross-grained，hard-headedfellowcameupwhowouldneverbehappyunlesshewasquarrellingwithhisnearestneighbours，orwhentherewassomeclass-dispute，betweenthefifthformandthefags，forinstance，whichrequiredblood-letting；andachampionwaspickedoutoneachsidetacitly，whosettledthematterbyagoodheartymill。But，forthemostpart，theconstantuseofthosesurestkeepersofthepeace，theboxing-
　　gloves，kepttheSchool-houseboysfromfightingoneanother。
　　Twoorthreenightsineveryweekthegloveswerebroughtout，eitherinthehallorfifth-formroom；andeveryboywhowaseverlikelytofightatallknewallhisneighbours’prowessperfectlywell，andcouldtelltoanicetywhatchancehewouldhaveinastand-upfightwithanyotherboyinthehouse。But，ofcourse，nosuchexperiencecouldbegottenasregardedboysinotherhouses；andasmostoftheotherhousesweremoreorlessjealousoftheSchool-house，collisionswerefrequent。
　　Afterall，whatwouldlifebewithoutfighting，Ishouldliketoknow？Fromthecradletothegrave，fighting，rightlyunderstood，isthebusiness，therealhighest，honestestbusinessofeverysonofman。Everyonewhoisworthhissalthashisenemies，whomustbebeaten，betheyevilthoughtsandhabitsinhimself，orspiritualwickednessesinhighplaces，orRussians，orBorder-ruffians，orBill，Tom，orHarry，whowillnotlethimlivehislifeinquiettillhehasthrashedthem。
　　Itisnogoodforquakers，oranyotherbodyofmen，touplifttheirvoicesagainstfighting。Humannatureistoostrongforthem，andtheydon’tfollowtheirownprecepts。Everysoulofthemisdoinghisownpieceoffighting，somehowandsomewhere。
　　Theworldmightbeabetterworldwithoutfighting，foranythingIknow，butitwouldn’tbeourworld；andthereforeIamdeadagainstcryingpeacewhenthereisnopeace，andisn’tmeanttobe。Iamassorryasanymantoseefolkfightingthewrongpeopleandthewrongthings，butI’dadealsoonerseethemdoingthatthanthattheyshouldhavenofightinthem。Sohavingrecorded，andbeingabouttorecord，myhero’sfightsofallsorts，withallsortsofenemies，Ishallnowproceedtogiveanaccountofhispassage-at-armswiththeonlyoneofhisschool-fellowswhomheeverhadtoencounterinthismanner。
　　ItwasdrawingtowardsthecloseofArthur’sfirsthalf-year，andtheMayeveningswerelengtheningout。Locking-upwasnottilleighto’clock，andeverybodywasbeginningtotalkaboutwhathewoulddointheholidays。Theshell，inwhichformallourdramatispersonaenoware，werereading，amongstotherthings，thelastbookofHomer’s“Iliad，“andhadworkedthroughitasfarasthespeechesofthewomenoverHector’sbody。Itisawholeschool-day，andfourorfiveoftheSchool-houseboysamongstwhomareArthur，Tom，andEastarepreparingthirdlessontogether。Theyhavefinishedtheregulationfortylines，andareforthemostpartgettingverytired，notwithstandingtheexquisitepathosofHelen’slamentation。Andnowseverallongfour-syllabledwordscometogether，andtheboywiththedictionarystrikeswork。
　　“Iamnotgoingtolookoutanymorewords，“sayshe；“we’vedonethequantity。Tentooneweshan’tgetsofar。Let’sgooutintotheclose。“
　　“Comealong，boys，“criesEast，alwaysreadytoleave“thegrind，“ashecalledit；“ouroldcoachislaidup，youknow，andweshallhaveoneofthenewmasters，who’ssuretogoslowandletusdowneasy。“
　　Soanadjournmenttotheclosewascarriednem。con。，littleArthurnotdaringtouplifthisvoice；but，beingdeeplyinterestedinwhattheywerereading，stayedquietlybehind，andlearntonforhisownpleasure。
　　AsEasthadsaid，theregularmasteroftheformwasunwell，andtheyweretobeheardbyoneofthenewmasters——quiteayoungman，whohadonlyjustlefttheuniversity。Certainlyitwouldbehardlinesif，bydawdlingasmuchaspossibleincominginandtakingtheirplaces，enteringintolong-windedexplanationsofwhatwastheusualcourseoftheregularmasteroftheform，andothersofthestockcontrivancesofboysforwastingtimeinschool，theycouldnotspinoutthelessonsothatheshouldnotworkthemthroughmorethanthefortylines。Astowhichquantitytherewasaperpetualfightgoingonbetweenthemasterandhisform——thelatterinsisting，andenforcingbypassiveresistance，thatitwastheprescribedquantityofHomerforashelllesson；theformer，thattherewasnofixedquantity，butthattheymustalwaysbereadytogoontofiftyorsixtylinesifthereweretimewithinthehour。However，notwithstandingalltheirefforts，thenewmastergotonhorriblyquick。Heseemedtohavethebadtastetobereallyinterestedinthelesson，andtobetryingtoworkthemupintosomethinglikeappreciationofit，givingthemgood，spiritedEnglishwords，insteadofthewretchedbaldstuffintowhichtheyrenderedpooroldHomer，andconstruingovereachpiecehimselftothem，aftereachboy，toshowthemhowitshouldbedone。
　　Nowtheclockstrikesthethree-quarters；thereisonlyaquarterofanhourmore，butthefortylinesareallbutdone。
　　Sotheboys，oneafteranother，whoarecalledup，stickmoreandmore，andmakebalderandevermorebaldworkofit。Thepooryoungmasterisprettynearbeatbythistime，andfeelsreadytoknockhisheadagainstthewall，orhisfingersagainstsomebodyelse’shead。Sohegivesupaltogetherthelowerandmiddlepartsoftheform，andlooksroundindespairattheboysonthetopbench，toseeifthereisoneoutofwhomhecanstrikeasparkortwo，andwhowillbetoochivalroustomurderthemostbeautifulutterancesofthemostbeautifulwomanoftheoldworld。HiseyerestsonArthur，andhecallshimuptofinishconstruingHelen’sspeech。Whereuponalltheotherboysdrawlongbreaths，andbegintostareaboutandtakeiteasy。
　　Theyareallsafe:Arthuristheheadoftheform，andsuretobeabletoconstrue，andthatwilltideonsafelytillthehourstrikes。
　　ArthurproceedstoreadoutthepassageinGreekbeforeconstruingit，asthecustomis。Tom，whoisn’tpayingmuchattention，issuddenlycaughtbythefalterinhisvoiceashereadsthetwolines——
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　　HelooksupatArthur。“Why，blessus，“thinkshe，“whatcanbethematterwiththeyoungun？He’snevergoingtogetfloored。
　　He’ssuretohavelearnttotheend。“NextmomentheisreassuredbythespiritedtoneinwhichArthurbeginsconstruing，andbetakeshimselftodrawingdogs’headsinhisnotebook，whilethemaster，evidentlyenjoyingthechange，turnshisbackonthemiddlebenchandstandsbeforeArthur，beatingasortoftimewithhishandandfoot，andsaying；“Yes，yes，“
　　“Verywell，“asArthurgoeson。
　　Butashenearsthefataltwolines，Tomcatchesthatfalter，andagainlooksup。Heseesthatthereissomethingthematter；
　　Arthurcanhardlygetonatall。Whatcanitbe？
　　SuddenlyatthispointArthurbreaksdownaltogether，andfairlyburstsoutcrying，anddashesthecuffofhisjacketacrosshiseyes，blushinguptotherootsofhishair，andfeelingasifheshouldliketogodownsuddenlythroughthefloor。Thewholeformaretakenaback；mostofthemstarestupidlyathim，whilethosewhoaregiftedwithpresenceofmindfindtheirplacesandlooksteadilyattheirbooks，inhopesofnotcatchingthemaster’seyeandgettingcalledupinArthur’splace。
　　Themasterlookspuzzledforamoment，andthenseeing，asthefactis，thattheboyisreallyaffectedtotearsbythemosttouchingthinginHomer，perhapsinallprofanepoetryputtogether，stepsuptohimandlayshishandkindlyonhisshoulder，saying，“Nevermind，mylittleman，you’veconstruedverywell。Stopaminute；there’snohurry。“
　　Now，asluckwouldhaveit，theresatnextaboveTomonthatday，inthemiddlebenchoftheform，abigboy，bynameWilliams，generallysupposedtobethecockoftheshell，thereforeofalltheschoolbelowthefifths。Thesmallboys，whoaregreatspeculatorsontheprowessoftheirelders，usedtoholdforthtooneanotheraboutWilliams’sgreatstrength，andtodiscusswhetherEastorBrownwouldtakealickingfromhim。HewascalledSloggerWilliams，fromtheforcewithwhichitwassupposedhecouldhit。Inthemain，hewasarough，goodnaturedfellowenough，butverymuchalivetohisowndignity。Hereckonedhimselfthekingoftheform，andkeptuphispositionwiththestronghand，especiallyinthematterofforcingboysnottoconstruemorethanthelegitimatefortylines。HehadalreadygruntedandgrumbledtohimselfwhenArthurwentonreadingbeyondthefortylines；butnowthathehadbrokendownjustinthemiddleofallthelongwords，theSlogger’swrathwasfairlyroused。