He then got up and said-- "There must be no sham or nonsense about this affair.

Let all the boys take their seats quietly down the room." 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.