Andaftersometalk，webothagreedthatyouinparticularwantedsomeobjectintheSchoolbeyondgamesandmischief；foritwasquiteclearthatyouneverwouldmaketheregularschoolworkyourfirstobject。AndsotheDoctor，atthebeginningofthenexthalf-year，lookedoutthebestofthenewboys，andseparatedyouandEast，andputtheyoungboyintoyourstudy，inthehopethatwhenyouhadsomebodytoleanonyou，youwouldbegintostandalittlesteadieryourself，andgetmanlinessandthoughtfulness。AndIcanassureyouhehaswatchedtheexperimenteversincewithgreatsatisfaction。Ah！notoneofyouboyswilleverknowtheanxietyyouhavegivenhim，orthecarewithwhichhehaswatchedovereverystepinyourschoollives。“
UptothistimeTomhadnevergivenwhollyintoorunderstoodtheDoctor。Atfirsthehadthoroughlyfearedhim。Forsomeyears，asIhavetriedtoshow，hehadlearnttoregardhimwithloveandrespect，andtothinkhimaverygreatandwiseandgoodman。ButasregardedhisownpositionintheSchool，ofwhichhewasnolittleproud，Tomhadnoideaofgivinganyonecreditforitbuthimself，and，truthtotell，wasaveryself-
conceitedyounggentlemanonthesubject。HewaswonttoboastthathehadfoughthisownwayfairlyuptheSchool，andhadnevermadeuptoorbeentakenupbyanybigfellowormaster，andthatitwasnowquiteadifferentplacefromwhatitwaswhenhefirstcame。And，indeed，thoughhedidn’tactuallyboastofit，yetinhissecretsoulhedidtoagreatextentbelievethatthegreatreformintheSchoolhadbeenowingquiteasmuchtohimselfastoanyoneelse。Arthur，heacknowledged，haddonehimgood，andtaughthimagooddeal；sohadotherboysindifferentways，buttheyhadnothadthesamemeansofinfluenceontheSchoolingeneral。AndasfortheDoctor，why，hewasasplendidmaster；buteveryoneknewthatmasterscoulddoverylittleoutofschoolhours。Inshort，hefeltontermsofequalitywithhischief，sofarasthesocialstateoftheSchoolwasconcerned，andthoughtthattheDoctorwouldfinditnoeasymattertogetonwithouthim。Moreover，hisSchoolToryismwasstillstrong，andhelookedstillwithsomejealousyontheDoctor，assomewhatofafanaticinthematterofchange，andthoughtitverydesirablefortheSchoolthatheshouldhavesomewiseperson(suchashimself)tolooksharplyaftervestedSchool-rights，andseethatnothingwasdonetotheinjuryoftherepublicwithoutdueprotest。
Itwasanewlighttohimtofindthat，besidesteachingthesixth，andgoverningandguidingthewholeSchool，editingclassics，andwritinghistories，thegreatheadmasterhadfoundtimeinthosebusyyearstowatchoverthecareerevenofhim，TomBrown，andhisparticularfriends，and，nodoubt，offiftyotherboysatthesametime，andallthiswithouttakingtheleastcredittohimself，orseemingtoknow，orletanyoneelseknow，thatheeverthoughtparticularlyofanyboyatall。
However，theDoctor’svictorywascompletefromthatmomentoverTomBrownatanyrate。Hegavewayatallpoints，andtheenemymarchedrightoverhim——cavalry，infantry，andartillery，andthelandtransportcorps，andthecampfollowers。Ithadtakeneightlongyearstodoit；butnowitwasdonethoroughly，andtherewasn’tacornerofhimleftwhichdidn’tbelieveintheDoctor。HadhereturnedtoSchoolagain，andtheDoctorbegunthehalf-yearbyabolishingfagging，andfootball，andtheSaturdayhalf-holiday，oralloranyofthemostcherishedSchoolinstitutions，Tomwouldhavesupportedhimwiththeblindestfaith。Andso，afterahalfconfessionofhispreviousshortcomings，andsorrowfuladieustohistutor，fromwhomhereceivedtwobeautifully-boundvolumesoftheDoctor’ssermons，asapartingpresent，hemarcheddowntotheSchoolhouse，ahero-worshipper，whowouldhavesatisfiedthesoulofThomasCarlylehimself。
Therehefoundtheelevenathighjinksaftersupper，JackRagglesshoutingcomicsongsandperformingfeatsofstrength，andwasgreetedbyachorusofmingledremonstranceathisdesertionandjoyathisreappearance。Andfallinginwiththehumouroftheevening，hewassoonasgreataboyasalltherest；andatteno’clockwaschairedroundthequadrangle，ononeofthehallbenches，bornealoftbytheeleven，shoutinginchorus，“Forhe’sajollygoodfellow，“whileoldThomas，inameltingmood，andtheotherSchool-houseservants，stoodlookingon。
Andthenextmorningafterbreakfasthesquaredupallthecricketingaccounts，wentroundtohistradesmenandotheracquaintance，andsaidhisheartygood-byes；andbytwelveo’clockwasinthetrain，andawayforLondon，nolongeraschool-boy，anddividedinhisthoughtsbetweenhero-worship，honestregretsoverthelongstageofhislifewhichwasnowslippingoutofsightbehindhim，andhopesandresolvesforthenextstageuponwhichhewasenteringwithalltheconfidenceofayoungtraveller。
“Strangefriend，past，present，andtobe；
Loveddeeplier，darklierunderstood；
BeholdIdreamadreamofgood，Andminglealltheworldwiththee。“-TENNYSON。
Inthesummerof1842，ourherostoppedonceagainatthewell-
knownstation；andleavinghisbagandfishing-rodwithaporter，walkedslowlyandsadlyuptowardsthetown。ItwasnowJuly。HehadrushedawayfromOxfordthemomentthattermwasover，forafishingrambleinScotlandwithtwocollegefriends，andhadbeenforthreeweekslivingonoatcake，mutton-hams，andwhisky，inthewildestpartsofSkye。TheyhaddescendedonesultryeveningonthelittleinnatKyleRheaferry；andwhileTomandanotherofthepartyputtheirtackletogetherandbeganexploringthestreamforasea-troutforsupper，thethirdstrolledintothehousetoarrangefortheirentertainment。
Presentlyhecameoutinalooseblouseandslippers，ashortpipeinhismouth，andanoldnewspaperinhishand，andthrewhimselfontheheatheryscrubwhichmettheshingle，withineasyhailofthefishermen。Therehelay，thepictureoffree-and-
easy，loafing，hand-to-mouthyoungEngland，“improvinghismind，“asheshoutedtothem，bytheperusalofthefortnight-
oldweeklypaper，soiledwiththemarksoftoddy-glassesandtobacco-ashes，thelegacyofthelasttraveller，whichhehadhuntedoutfromthekitchenofthelittlehostelry，and，beingayouthofacommunicativeturnofmind，beganimpartingthecontentstothefishermenashewenton。
“Whatabothertheyaremakingaboutthesewretchedcorn-laws！
Here’sthreeorfourcolumnsfullofnothingbutslidingscalesandfixedduties。Hangthistobacco，it’salwaysgoingout！
Ah，here’ssomethingbetter——asplendidmatchbetweenKentandEngland，Brown，Kentwinningbythreewickets。Felixfifty-sixrunswithoutachance，andnotout！“
Tom，intentonafishwhichhadrisenathimtwice，answeredonlywithagrunt。
“AnythingabouttheGoodwood？“calledoutthethirdman。
“RoryO’Moredrawn。Butterflycoltamiss，“shoutedthestudent。
“Justmyluck，“grumbledtheinquirer，jerkinghisfliesoffthewater，andthrowingagainwithaheavy，sullensplash，andfrighteningTom’sfish。
“Isay，can’tyouthrowlighteroverthere？Weain’tfishingforgrampuses，“shoutedTomacrossthestream。
“Hullo，Brown！here’ssomethingforyou，“calledoutthereadingmannextmoment。“Why，youroldmaster，ArnoldofRugby，isdead。“
Tom’shandstoppedhalf-wayinhiscast，andhislineandflieswentalltanglingroundandroundhisrod；youmighthaveknockedhimoverwithafeather。Neitherofhiscompanionstookanynoticeofhim，luckily；andwithaviolentefforthesettoworkmechanicallytodisentanglehisline。Hefeltcompletelycarriedoffhismoralandintellectuallegs，asifhehadlosthisstanding-pointintheinvisibleworld。Besideswhich，thedeep，lovingloyaltywhichhefeltforhisoldleadermadetheshockintenselypainful。Itwasthefirstgreatwrenchofhislife，thefirstgapwhichtheangelDeathhadmadeinhiscircle，andhefeltnumbed，andbeatendown，andspiritless。
Well，well！Ibelieveitwasgoodforhimandformanyothersinlikecase，whohadtolearnbythatlossthatthesoulofmancannotstandorleanuponanyhumanprop，howeverstrong，andwise，andgood；butthatHeuponwhomaloneitcanstandandleanwillknockawayallsuchpropsinHisownwiseandmercifulway，untilthereisnogroundorstayleftbutHimself，theRockofAges，uponwhomaloneasurefoundationforeverysoulofmanislaid。
Ashewearilylabouredathisline，thethoughtstruckhim，“Itmaybeallfalse——amerenewspaperlie。“Andhestrodeuptotherecumbentsmoker。
“Letmelookatthepaper，“saidhe。
“Nothingelseinit，“answeredtheother，handingituptohimlistlessly。“Hullo，Brown！what’sthematter，oldfellow？
Ain’tyouwell？“
“Whereisit？“saidTom，turningovertheleaves，hishandstrembling，andhiseyesswimming，sothathecouldnotread。
“What？Whatareyoulookingfor？“saidhisfriend，jumpingupandlookingoverhisshoulder。
“That——aboutArnold，“saidTom。
“Oh，here，“saidtheother，puttinghisfingerontheparagraph。
Tomreaditoverandoveragain。Therecouldbenomistakeofidentity，thoughtheaccountwasshortenough。
“Thankyou，“saidheatlast，droppingthepaper。“Ishallgoforawalk。Don’tyouandHerbertwaitsupperforme。“Andawayhestrode，upoverthemooratthebackofthehouse，tobealone，andmasterhisgriefifpossible。
Hisfriendlookedafterhim，sympathizingandwondering，and，knockingtheashesoutofhispipe，walkedovertoHerbert。
Afterashortparleytheywalkedtogetheruptothehouse。
“I’mafraidthatconfoundednewspaperhasspoiledBrown’sfunforthistrip。“
“Howoddthatheshouldbesofondofhisoldmaster，“saidHerbert。Yettheyalsowerebothpublic-schoolmen。
Thetwo，however，notwithstandingTom’sprohibition，waitedsupperforhim，andhadeverythingreadywhenhecamebacksomehalfanhourafterwards。Buthecouldnotjoinintheircheerfultalk，andthepartywassoonsilent，notwithstandingtheeffortsofallthree。OnethingonlyhadTomresolved，andthatwas，thathecouldn’tstayinScotlandanylonger:hefeltanirresistiblelongingtogettoRugby，andthenhome，andsoonbrokeittotheothers，whohadtoomuchtacttooppose。
SobydaylightthenextmorninghewasmarchingthroughRoss-
shire，andintheeveninghittheCaledonianCanal，tookthenextsteamer，andtravelledasfastasboatandrailwaycouldcarryhimtotheRugbystation。
Ashewalkeduptothetown，hefeltshyandafraidofbeingseen，andtookthebackstreets——why，hedidn’tknow，buthefollowedhisinstinct。AttheSchool-gateshemadeadeadpause；therewasnotasoulinthequadrangle——allwaslonely，andsilent，andsad。Sowithanotherefforthestrodethroughthequadrangle，andintotheSchool-houseoffices。
