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"Why, of course I do," said Paul angrily; "I'm not an idiot!" "You are weary of the struggle so soon?" said the other with reproach. "Weary? I tell you I'm sick of it! If I had only known what was in store for me before I had made such a fool of myself!" "This is horrible!" said Mr. Blinkhorn "I ought not to listen to you." "But you must," urged Paul; "I tell you I can't stand it any longer.

This time, however, he was not alone. Mr. Blinkhorn was sitting at his little table in the corner, correcting exercises, with his chilly hands cased in worsted mittens. He looked up as Paul came in, and nodded kindly.

"Sterling worth!" cried Paul. "A scoundrel, I tell you, a heartless, selfish young scoundrel. Call things by their right names, if you please." "No, no," said Mr. Blinkhorn, "this extreme self-depreciation is morbid, very morbid. There was no actual vice." "No actual vice! Why, God bless my soul, do you call ingratitude the basest, most unfilial, most treacherous ingratitude no vice, sir?

I'm sure you see that yourself." "I don't admit that I owe them anything," said Paul; "and at all events it is highly inconvenient to pay them now." "If your own sense of honour isn't enough," said Mr. Blinkhorn, "I must take the matter into my own hands. Let every boy who has any claim upon him tell me exactly what it is." One boy after another brought forward his claim.

But the prospect was so doleful and so blank, that he drew a heavy sigh as he thought of it. Mr. Blinkhorn heard it, and rose awkwardly from the rickety little writing-table, knocking over a pile of marble-covered copy-books as he did so. Then he crossed over to Paul and laid a hand gently on his shoulder. "Look here," he said: "why don't you confide in me?

Grimstone really did arrive at this point, much to Paul's relief, and looked in to give a grip of the hand and a few words to those of the boys he had not seen. Biddlecomb, Tipping, and the rest, came in with him, and the schoolroom soon filled with others arriving by later trains, amongst the later comers being the two house-masters, Mr. Blinkhorn and Mr.

Blinkhorn, who had more conscientious views of his office, charged about vigorously, performing all kinds of wonders with the ball, though evidently more from a sense of duty than with any idea of enjoyment.

But, at all events, you come back here an altogether different being. Am I right in saying so?" "Perfectly," said Paul, overjoyed at being so thoroughly understood, "perfectly. You're a very intelligent young man, sir. Shake hands. Why, I shouldn't be surprised, after that, if you knew how it all happened?" "That too," said Mr. Blinkhorn smiling, "I can guess. It arose, I doubt not, in a wish?"

Blinkhorn had been educated at a large Nonconformist College, where "Revivals" and "Awakenings" were periodical, and undoubtedly did produce changes of character violent enough, but sadly short in duration.

"It would have been worse than fruitless to attempt to hurry on the crisis. It might have even prevented what I fondly hoped would come to pass." "Fondly hoped!" said Paul, "upon my word you speak plainly, sir." "Yes," said Mr. Blinkhorn. "You see I knew the Dick Bultitude that was, so well; he was frolicksome, impulsive, mischievous even, but under it all there lay a nature of sterling worth."