It was not Eric’s nature to do things by halves, and it became obvious to all that his exertions to resist and abandon his old temptations were strenuous and unwavering.  He could no longer hope for the school distinctions, which would have once lain so easily within his reach, for the ground lost during weeks of idleness cannot be recovered by a wish; but he succeeded sufficiently, by dint of desperately hard work, to acquit himself with considerable credit, and in the Easter examination came out sufficiently high, to secure his remove into the sixth form after the holidays.

He felt far happier in the endeavor to fulfill his duty, than he had ever done during the last years of recklessness and neglect, and the change for the better in his character tended to restore unanimity and good will to the school.  Eric no longer headed the party which made a point of ridiculing and preventing industry; and, sharing as he did the sympathy of nearly all the boys, he was able quietly and unobtrusively to calm down the jealousies and allay the heartburnings which had for so long a time brought discord and disunion into the school society.  Cheerfulness and unanimity began to prevail once more at Roslyn, and Eric had the intense happiness of seeing how much good lay still within his power.

So the Easter holidays commenced with promise, and the few first days glided away in innocent enjoyments.  Eric was now reconciled again to Owen and Duncan, and, therefore, had a wider choice of companions more truly congenial to his high nature than the narrow circle of his late associates.

“What do you say to a boat excursion to-morrow?” asked Duncan, as they chatted together one evening.

“I won’t go without leave,” said Eric; “I should only get caught, and get into another mess.  Besides, I feel myself pledged now to strict obedience.”

“Ay, you’re quite right.  We’ll get leave easily enough though, provided we agree to take Jim the boatman with us; so I vote we make up a party.”

“By the bye, I forgot; I’m engaged to Wildney to-morrow.”

“Never mind.  Bring him with you, and Graham too, if you like.”

“Most gladly,” said Eric, really pleased; for he saw by this that Duncan observed the improvement in his old friends, and was falling in with the endeavor to make all the boys really cordial to each other, and destroy all traces of the late factions.

“Do you mind my bringing Montagu?”

“Not at all.  Why should I?” answered Eric, with a slight blush.  Montagu and he had never been formally reconciled, nor had they, as yet, spoken to each other.  Indeed Duncan had purposely planned the excursion to give them an opportunity of becoming friends once more, by being thrown together.  He knew well that they both earnestly wished it, although, with the natural shyness of boys, they hardly knew how to set about effecting it.  Montagu hung back lest he should seem to be patronising a fallen enemy, and Eric lest he should have sinned too deeply to be forgiven.