But he was soon happily undeceived.

Mr.Rose at once addressed him with much kindness, and he felt that, however bad he had been before, he would now have an opportunity to turn over a new leaf, and begin again a career of hope.
He worked admirably at first, and even beat, for the first week or two, his old competitors, Owen and Russell.
From the beginning, Mr.Rose took a deep interest in him.

Few could look at the boy's bright blue eyes and noble face without doing so, and the more when they knew that his father and mother were thousands of miles away, leaving him alone in the midst of so many dangers.

Often the master asked him, and Russell, and Owen, and Montagu, to supper with him in the library, which gave them the privilege of sitting up later than usual, and enjoying a more quiet and pleasant evening than was possible in the noisy rooms.

Boys and master were soon quite at home with each other, and in this way Mr.Rose had an opportunity of instilling many a useful warning without the formality of regular discipline or stereotyped instruction.
Eric found the life of the "boarders' room" far rougher than he had expected.