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"
"But then Graham asked me to do it, and called me cowardly because I
refused at first."
"Ah, Eric," said Russell, "they will ask you to do worse things if you
yield so easily. I wouldn't say anything to Dr. Rowlands about it, if I
were you."
Eric took the advice, and, full of mortification, went home. He gave his
father a true and manly account of the whole occurrence, and that
afternoon Mr. Williams wrote a note of apology and explanation to Mr.
Gordon. Next time the form went up, Mr. Gordon said, in his most
freezing tones, "Williams, at present I shall take no further notice of
your offence beyond including you in the extra lesson every
half-holiday."
From that day forward Eric felt that he was marked and suspected, and
the feeling worked on him with the worst effects. He grew more careless
in work, and more trifling and indifferent in manner. Several boys now
beat him whom he had easily surpassed before, and his energies were for
a time entirely directed to keeping that supremacy in the games which he
had won by his activity and strength.


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