From this time Eric was much in Upton’s study, and constantly by his side in the playground.  In spite of their disparity in age and position in the school, they became sworn friends, though, their friendship was broken every now and then by little quarrels, which united them all the more closely after they had not spoken to each other perhaps for a week.

“Your cousin Upton has ‘taken up’ Williams,” said Montagu to Russell one afternoon, as he saw the two strolling together on the beach, with Eric’s arm in Upton’s.

“Yes, I am sorry for it.”

“So am I. We shan’t see so much of him now.”

“O, that’s not my only reason,” answered Russell, who had a rare habit of always going straight to the point.

“You mean you don’t like the ‘taking-up’ system.”

“No, Montagu; I used once to have fine theories about it.  I used to fancy that a big fellow would do no end of good to one lower in the school, and that the two would stand to each other in the relation of knight to squire.  You know what the young knights were taught, Monty—­to keep their bodies under, and bring them into subjection; to love God, and speak the truth always.  That sounds very grand and noble to me.  But when a big fellow takes up a little one you know pretty well that those are not the kind of lessons he teaches”

“No, Russell; you’re quite right.  It’s bad for a fellow in every way.  First of all, it keeps him in an unnatural sort of dependence; then ten to one it makes him conceited, and prevents his character from really coming out well.  And besides, the young chap generally gets paid out in kicks and abuse from the jealousy and contempt of the rest; and if his protector happens to leave, or anything of that kind, woe betide him!”

“No fear for Eric in that line, though,” said Russell; “he can hold his own pretty well against any one.  And after all, he is a most jolly fellow.  I don’t think even Upton will spoil him; it’s chiefly the soft self-indulgent fellows, who are all straw and no iron, who get spoilt by being ‘taken up.’”

Russell was partly right.  Eric learnt a great deal of harm from Upton, and the misapplied hero-worship led to bad results.  But he was too manly a little fellow, and had too much self-respect, to sink into the effeminate condition which usually grows on the young delectables who have the misfortune to be “taken up.”

Nor did he in the least drop his old friends, except Owen.  A coolness grew up between the latter and Eric, not unmingled with a little mutual contempt.  Eric sneered at Owen as a fellow who did nothing but grind all day long, and had no geniality in him; while Owen pitied the love of popularity which so often led Eric into delinquencies, which he himself despised.  Owen had, indeed, but few friends in the school; the only boy who knew him well enough to respect and like him thoroughly was Russell, who found in him the only one who took the same high, ground with himself.  But Russell loved the good in every one, and was loved by all in return, and Eric he loved most of all, while he often mourned over his increasing failures.