They did so, and Avonley asked, “Is Williams here?”

Looking round, they discovered he was not.  Russell instantly went to the library to fetch him, and told him what was going on.  He took Eric’s arm kindly as they entered, to show the whole school that he was not ashamed of him, and Eric deeply felt the delicacy of his goodwill.

“Are you willing to be tried, Williams,” asked Avonley, “on the charge of having written the insulting paper about Mr. Gordon?  Of course we know very little how these kind of things ought to be conducted, but we will see that everything done is open and above ground, and try to manage it properly.”

“There is nothing I should like better,” said Eric.

He had quite recovered his firm, manly bearing.  A quiet conversation with his dearly loved friend and master had assured him in the confidence of innocence, and though the color on his cheek had through excitement sunk into two bright red spots, he looked wonderfully noble and winning as he stood before the boys in the centre of the room.  His appearance caused a little reaction in his favor, and a murmur of applause followed his answer.

“Good,” said Avonley; “who will prosecute on the part of the school?”

There was a pause.  Nobody seemed to covet the office.

“Very well; if no one is willing to prosecute, the charge drops.”

“I will do it,” said Gibson, a Rowlandite, one of the study boys at the top of the fifth form.  He was a clever fellow, and Eric liked the little he had seen of him.

“Have you any objection, Williams, to the jury being composed of the sixth form? or are there any names among them which you wish to challenge?”

“No,” said Eric, glancing round with confidence.

“Well, now, who will defend the accused?”

Another pause, and Upton got up.

“No,” said Eric, at once.  “You were inclined to distrust me, Upton, and I will only be defended by somebody who never doubted my innocence.”

Another pause followed, and then, blushing crimson, Russell got up.  “I am only a Shell-boy,” he said, “but if Eric doesn’t mind trusting his cause to me, I will defend him, since no other fifth-form fellow stirs.”

“Thank you, Russell, I wanted you to offer, I could wish no better defender.”

“Will Owen, Duncan, and Montagu help me, if they can?” asked Russell.

“Very willingly,” they all three said, and went to take their seats by him.  They conversed eagerly for a few minutes, and then declared themselves ready.

“All I have got to do,” said Gibson, rising, “is to bring before the school the grounds for suspecting Williams, and all the evidence which makes it probable that he is the offender.  Now, first of all, the thing must have been done between Friday evening and Saturday morning; and since the school-room door is generally locked soon after school, it was probably done in the short interval between six and a quarter past.  I shall now examine some witnesses.”