“Hear! hear!” said half a dozen; and Eric, rather against his will, found himself ensconced at the end of the table, with Brigson and Bull on either hand.  The villainous-low-foreheaded man, whom they called Billy, soon brought in a tough goose at one end of the table, and some fowls at the other; and they fell to, doing ample justice to the [Greek:  daiz heisae] while Billy waited on them.  There was immense uproar during the dinner, every one eating as fast, and talking as loud, as he could.

The birds soon vanished, and were succeeded by long rolly-polly puddings, which the boys called Goliahs; and they, too, rapidly disappeared.  Meanwhile beer was circling only too plentifully.

“Now for the dessert, Billy,” called several voices; and that worthy proceeded to put on the table some figs, cakes, oranges, and four black bottles of wine.  There was a general grab for these dainties, and one boy shouted, “I say, I’ve had no wine.”

“Well, it’s all gone.  We must get some brandy—­it’s cheaper,” said Brigson; and accordingly some brandy was brought in, which the boys diluted with hot water, and soon despatched.

“Here! before you’re all done swilling,” said Brigson, “I’ve got a health; ‘Confound muffs and masters, and success to the anti’s.’”

“And their chairman,’ suggested Wildney.

“And their chairman, the best fellow in the school,” added Brigson.

The health was drunk with due clamor, and Eric got up to thank them.

“I’m not going to spout,” he said; “but boys must be boys, and there’s no harm in a bit of fun.  I for one have enjoyed it, and am much obliged to you for asking me; and now I call for a song.”

“Wildney!  Wildney’s song,” called several.

Wildney had a good voice, and struck up, without the least bashfulness—­

     “Come, landlord, fill the flowing bowl,
       Until it does run overt
     Come, landlord, fill,” &c

“Now,” he said, “join in the chorus!” The boys, all more or less excited, joined in heartily and uproariously—­

     “For to-night we’ll merry merry be! 
     For to-night we’ll merry merry be! 
     For to-night we’ll merry merry be! 
       To-morrow we’ll be sober!”

While Wildney sang, Eric had time to think.  As he glanced round the room, at the flushed faces of the boys, some of whom he could not recognise in the dusky atmosphere, a qualm of disgust and shame passed over him.  Several of them were smoking, and, with Bull and Brigson heading the line on each, side of the table, he could not help observing what a bad set they looked.  The remembrance of Russell came back to him.  Oh, if Edwin could have known that he was in such company at such a place!  And by the door stood Billy, watching them all like an evil spirit, with a leer of saturnine malice on his evil face.

But the bright little Wildney, unconscious of Eric’s bitter thoughts, sang on with overflowing mirth.  As Eric looked at him, shining out like a sunbeam among the rest, he felt something like blood-guiltiness on his soul, when, he felt that he was sanctioning the young boy’s presence in that degraded assemblage.