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。
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“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-houseboys(amongstwhomareArthur，Tom，andEast)arepreparingthirdlessontogether。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。
