"Owing," he said, "to a very natural and pardonable emotion, the apology has been read in such a way that you could not have understood it.

I will therefore read it myself.
It is to this effect-- "'I, Eric Williams, beg humbly and sincerely to apologise for my passionate and ungrateful insult to Mr.Rose.' "You will understand that he was left quite free to choose his own expressions; and as he has acknowledged his shame and compunction for the act, I trust that none of you will be tempted to elevate him into a hero, for a folly which he himself so much regrets.

This affair,--as I should wish all bad deeds to be after they have once been punished,--will now be forgiven, and I hope forgotten." They left the room and dispersed, and Eric fancied that all shunned and looked coldly on his degradation But not so: Montagu came, and taking his arm in the old friendly way, went a walk with him.

It was a constrained and silent walk, and they were both glad when it was over, although Montagu did all he could to show that he loved Eric no less than before.

Still it was weeks since they had been much together, and they had far fewer things in common now than they used to have.
"I'm so wretched, Monty," said Eric at last; "do you think Rose despises me ?" "I am _sure_ of the contrary.