The change for the worse in the School-house, however, didn't press very heavily on our youngsters for some time. They were in a good bedroom, where slept the only praepostor left who was able to keep thorough order, and their study was in his passage. So, though they were fagged more or less, and occasionally kicked or cuffed by the bullies, they were, on the whole, well off; and the fresh, brave school-life, so full of games, adventures, and good-fellowship, so ready at forgetting, so capacious at enjoying, so bright at forecasting, outweighed a thousand-fold their troubles with the master of their form, and the occasional ill-usage of the big boys in the house. It wasn't till some year or so after the events recorded above that the praepostor of their room and passage left. None of the
