A Day of Punishment 



had hoisted myself on to the stool, ''take 

 notice that Master Hyde Is not to be 

 spoken to or played with for the rest of 

 the day." 



A slight buzz of whispering and a half- 

 suppressed cackle of laughter followed this 

 announcement, and then the lads betook 

 themselves to their tasks with more zest 

 than usual, for the Incident and the sight 

 of my ludicrous position Introduced a new 

 interest Into the dull school hours. 



For a little while I sat looking straight 

 down my nose, frightfully conscious of the 

 grins and grimaces of my young friends, 

 but knowing before long that their Interest 

 had somewhat subsided, I ventured to 

 glance at the various slates and heads 

 beneath me. 



What a revelation was there ! I saw 

 the schoolmaster drowsing between the 

 paragraphs of the Brighton Herald while 

 he kept the boys to work out a sum he 

 had set them ; I saw the weak-eyed boy, my 

 companion of that morning, decorating the 

 form beside him with his own initials writ 

 large in adhesive gelatine lozenges ; I saw 

 Fred Tapps, the acknowledged wag of the 

 school, drawing on his slate his famous 

 caricature of Mr. Blocker, which, when he 

 caught my eye, he promptly spat upon, 

 148 



