They became friends at once by a kind of electric sympathy; the first glance of each at the other's face prepared the friendship, and every day of acquaintance more firmly cemented it.

Eric could not have had a better friend; not so clever as himself, not so diligent as Owen, not so athletic as Duncan, or so fascinating as Montagu, Russell combined the best qualities of them all.
And, above all, he acted invariably from the highest principle; he presented that noblest of all noble spectacles--one so rare that many think it impossible--the spectacle of an honorable, pure-hearted, happy boy, who, as his early years speed by, is ever growing in wisdom, and stature, and favor with God and man.
"Did that brute Barker ever bully you as he bullies me ?" said Eric, one day, as he walked on the sea-shore with his friend.
"Yes," said Russell; "I slept in his dormitory when I first came, and he has often made me so wretched that I have flung myself on my knees at night in pretence of prayer, but really to get a little quiet time to cry like a child." "And when was it he left off at last ?" "Why, you know, Upton in the fifth is my cousin, and very fond of me; he heard of it, though I didn't say anything about it, and told Barker that if ever he caught him at it, he would thrash him within an inch of his life; and that frightened him for one thing.

Besides, Duncan, Montagu, and other friends of mine began to cut him in consequence, so he thought it best to leave off." "How is it, Russell, that fellows stand by and let him do it ?" "You see, Williams," said Russell, "Barker is an enormously strong fellow, and that makes the younger chaps, whom he fags, look up to him as a great hero.

And there isn't one in our part of the school who can thrash him.

Besides, people never do interfere, you know--at least not often.