So Brigson stood out in the room, and as they looked at him, many a boy cursed him in their hearts for evil taught them, such as a lifetime’s struggle could not unteach.  And it was that fellow, that stupid, clumsy, base compound of meanness and malice, that had ruled like a king among them.  Faugh!

“They call your name!  Do you know anything of this?”

“No!” said Brigson; “I’ll swear I’d nothing to do with it.”

“Oh-h-h-h!” the long, intense, deep-drawn expression of disgust and contempt ran round the room.

“You have told me a lie!” said Mr. Rose, slowly, and with ineffable contempt.  “No words can express my loathing for your false and dishonorable conduct.  Nor shall your lie save you, as you shall find immediately.  Still, you shall escape if you can or dare to deny it again.  I repeat my question—­Were you engaged in this?”

He fixed his full, piercing eye on the culprit, whom it seemed to scorch and wither.  Brigson winced back, and said nothing.  “As I thought,” said Mr. Rose.

“Not one boy only, but many, were engaged.  I shall call you up one by one to answer me.  Wildney, come here.”

The boy walked in front of the desk.

“Were you one of those who threw?”

Wildney, full as he was of dangerous and deadly faults, was no coward, and not a liar.  He knew, or at least feared, that this new scrape might be fatal to him, but, raising his dark and glistening eyes to Mr. Rose, he said penitently—­

“I didn’t throw, sir, but I did put out one of the candles that it might be done.”

The contrast with Brigson was very great; the dark cloud hung a little less darkly on Mr. Rose’s forehead, and there was a very faint murmur of applause.

“Good! stand back.  Pietrie, come up.”

Pietrie, too, confessed, and indeed all the rest of the plotters except Brooking.  Mr. Rose’s lip curled with scorn as he heard the exclamation which his denial caused; but he suffered him to sit down.

When Wright’s turn came to be asked, Mr. Rose said—­“No!  I shall not even ask you, Wright.  I know well that your character is too good to be involved in such an attempt.”

The boy bowed humbly, and sat down.  Among the last questioned was Vernon Williams, and Mr. Rose seemed anxious for his answer.

“No,” he said at once,—­and seemed to wish to add something.

“Go on,” said Mr. Rose, encouragingly.

“Oh, sir!  I only wanted to say that I hope you won’t think Eric knew of this.  He would have hated it, sir, more even than I do.”

“Good,” said Mr. Rose; “I am sure of it.  And now,” turning to the offenders, “I shall teach you never to dare again to be guilty of such presumption and wickedness as to-night.  I shall punish you according to my notion of your degrees of guilt.  Brigson, bring me a cane from that desk.”

He brought it.