He had been sent indeed to Mr.Lawley's grammar-school for the last half-year, and had learned a few declensions in his Latin grammar.

But as Mr.Lawley allowed his upper class to hear the little boys their lessons, Eric had managed to get on pretty much as he liked.

Only _once_ in the entire half-year had he said a lesson to the dreadful master himself, and of course it was a ruinous failure, involving some tremendous pulls of Eric's hair, and making him tremble like a leaf.

Several things combined to make Mr.Lawley dreadful to his imagination.

Ever since he was quite little, he remembered hearing the howls which proceeded from the "Latin school" as he passed by, whilst some luckless youngster was getting caned; and the reverend pedagogue was notoriously passionate.