“Well，Tom，“saidEast，recoveringhimself，“Idontseeanyobjectiontothenewway。It’saboutasgoodastheoldone，I
　　think，besidestheadvantageitgivesoneoffeelingvirtuous，andlookingdownonone’sneighbours。“
　　Tomshovedhishandintohisbackhair。“Iain’tsosure，“saidhe；“youtwofellowscarriedmeoffmylegs。Idon’tthinkwereallytriedonesentencefairly。AreyousureyourememberwhattheDoctorsaidtoyou？“
　　“Yes。AndI’llswearIcouldn’tmakeoutoneofmysentencesto-day——no，norevercould。Ireallydon’tremember，“saidEast，speakingslowlyandimpressively，“tohavecomeacrossoneLatinorGreeksentencethishalfthatIcouldgoandconstruebythelightofnature。WherebyIamsureProvidenceintendedcribstobeused。“
　　“Thethingtofindout，“saidTommeditatively，“ishowlongoneoughttogrindatasentencewithoutlookingatthecrib。NowI
　　thinkifonefairlylooksoutallthewordsonedon’tknow，andthencan’thitit，that’senough。“
　　“Tobesure，Tommy，“saidEastdemurely，butwithamerrytwinkleinhiseye。“Yournewdoctrinetoo，oldfellow，“addedhe，“whenonecomestothinkofit，isacuttingattherootofallschoolmorality。You’lltakeawaymutualhelp，brotherlylove，or，inthevulgartongue，givingconstrues，whichIholdtobeoneofourhighestvirtues。Forhowcanyoudistinguishbetweengettingaconstruefromanotherboyandusingacrib？
　　Hangit，Tom，ifyou’regoingtodepriveallourschool-fellowsofthechanceofexercisingChristianbenevolenceandbeinggoodSamaritans，Ishallcuttheconcern。“
　　“Iwishyouwouldn’tjokeaboutit，Harry；it’shardenoughtoseeone’sway——aprecioussightharderthanIthoughtlastnight。ButIsupposethere’sauseandanabuseofboth，andone’llgetstraightenoughsomehow。Butyoucan’tmakeout，anyhow，thatonehasarighttouseoldvulgus-booksandcopy-
　　books。“
　　“Hullo，moreheresy！Howfastafellowgoesdownhillwhenheoncegetshisheadbeforehislegs。Listentome，Tom。Notuseoldvulgus-books！Why，youGoth，ain’twetotakethebenefitofthewisdomandadmireandusetheworkofpastgenerations？
　　Notuseoldcopy-books！Why，youmightaswellsayweoughttopulldownWestminsterAbbey，andputupago-to-meetingshopwithchurchwardenwindows；orneverreadShakespeare，butonlySheridanKnowles。Thinkofalltheworkandlabourthatourpredecessorshavebestowedontheseverybooks；andarewetomaketheirworkofnovalue？“
　　“Isay，Harry，pleasedon’tchaff；I’mreallyserious。“
　　“Andthen，isitnotourdutytoconsultthepleasureofothersratherthanourown，andaboveall，thatofourmasters？Fancy，then，thedifferencetotheminlookingoveravulguswhichhasbeencarefullytouchedandretouchedbythemselvesandothers，andwhichmustbringthemasortofdreamypleasure，asifthey’dmetthethoughtorexpressionofitsomewhereoranother-beforetheywerebornperhaps——andthatofcuttingup，andmakingpicture-framesroundallyourandmyfalsequantities，andothermonstrosities。Why，Tom，youwouldn’tbesocruelasnevertoletoldMomushumoverthe’Ogenushumanum’again，andthenlookupdoubtinglythroughhisspectacles，andendbysmilingandgivingthreeextramarksforit——justforoldsake’ssake，Isuppose。“
　　“Well，“saidTom，gettingupinsomethingaslikeahuffashewascapableof，“it’sdeucedhardthatwhenafellow’sreallytryingtodowhatheought，hisbestfriends’lldonothingbutchaffhimandtrytoputhimdown。“Andhestuckhisbooksunderhisarmandhishatonhishead，preparatorytorushingoutintothequadrangle，totestifywithhisownsoulofthefaithlessnessoffriendships。
　　“Nowdon’tbeanass，Tom，“saidEast，catchingholdofhim；
　　“youknowmewellenoughbythistime；mybark’sworsethanmybite。Youcan’texpecttorideyournewcrotchetwithoutanybody’stryingtostickanettleunderhistailandmakehimkickyouoff——especiallyasweshallallhavetogoonfootstill。Butnowsitdown，andlet’sgooveritagain。I’llbeasseriousasajudge。“
　　ThenTomsathimselfdownonthetable，andwaxedeloquentaboutalltherighteousnessesandadvantagesofthenewplan，aswashiswontwheneverhetookupanything，goingintoitasifhislifedependeduponit，andsparingnoabusewhichhecouldthinkof，oftheoppositemethod，whichhedenouncedasungentlemanly，cowardly，mean，lying，andnooneknowswhatbesides。“VerycoolofTom，“asEastthought，butdidn’tsay，“seeingashowheonlycameoutofEgypthimselflastnightatbedtime。“
　　“Well，Tom，“saidheatlast，“yousee，whenyouandIcametoschooltherewerenoneofthesesortofnotions。Youmayberight——Idaresayyouare。Onlywhatonehasalwaysfeltaboutthemastersis，thatit’safairtrialofskillandlastbetweenusandthem——likeamatchatfootballorabattle。We’renaturalenemiesinschool——that’sthefact。We’vegottolearnsomuchLatinandGreek，anddosomanyverses，andthey’vegottoseethatwedoit。Ifwecanslipthecollaranddosomuchlesswithoutgettingcaught，that’sonetous。Iftheycangetmoreoutofus，orcatchusshirking，that’sonetothem。All’sfairinwarbutlying。IfIrunmyluckagainsttheirs，andgointoschoolwithoutlookingatmylessons，anddon’tgetcalledup，whyamIasnoborasneak？Idon’ttellthemasterI’velearntit。He’sgottofindoutwhetherIhaveornot。What’shepaidfor？IfhecallsmeupandIgetfloored，hemakesmewriteitoutinGreekandEnglish。Verygood。He’scaughtme，andIdon’tgrumble。Igrantyou，ifIgoandsniveltohim，andtellhimI’vereallytriedtolearnit，butfounditsohardwithoutatranslation，orsayI’vehadatoothache，oranyhumbugofthatkind，I’masnob。That’smyschoolmorality；
　　it’sservedme，andyoutoo，Tom，forthematterofthat，thesefiveyears。Andit’sallclearandfair，nomistakeaboutit。
　　Weunderstandit，andtheyunderstandit，andIdon’tknowwhatwe’retocometowithanyother。“
　　Tomlookedathimpleasedandalittlepuzzled。HehadneverheardEastspeakhismindseriouslybefore，andcouldn’thelpfeelinghowcompletelyhehadhithisowntheoryandpracticeuptothattime。
　　“Thankyou，oldfellow，“saidhe。“You’reagoodoldbricktobeserious，andnotputoutwithme。IsaidmorethanImeant，Idaresay，onlyyouseeIknowI’mright。WhateveryouandGowerandtherestdo，Ishallholdon。Imust。Andasit’sallnewandanuphillgame，yousee，onemusthithardandholdontightatfirst。“
　　“Verygood，“saidEast；“holdonandhitaway，onlydon’thitundertheline。“
　　“ButImustbringyouover，Harry，orIshan’tbecomfortable。
　　Now，I’llallowallyou’vesaid。We’vealwaysbeenhonourableenemieswiththemasters。Wefoundastateofwarwhenwecame，andwentintoitofcourse。Onlydon’tyouthinkthingsarealteredagooddeal？Idon’tfeelasIusedtothemasters。
　　Theyseemtometotreatonequitedifferently。“
　　“Yes，perhapstheydo，“saidEast；“there’sanewsetyousee，mostly，whodon’tfeelsureofthemselvesyet。Theydon’twanttofighttilltheyknowtheground。“
　　“Idon’tthinkit’sonlythat，“saidTom。“AndthentheDoctor，hedoestreatonesoopenly，andlikeagentleman，andasifonewasworkingwithhim。“
　　“Well，sohedoes，“saidEast；“he’sasplendidfellow，andwhenIgetintothesixthIshallactaccordingly。Onlyyouknowhehasnothingtodowithourlessonsnow，exceptexaminingus。I
　　say，though，“lookingathiswatch，“it’sjustthequarter。
　　Comealong。“
　　Astheywalkedouttheygotamessage，tosaythatArthurwasjuststarting，andwouldliketosaygoodbye。SotheywentdowntotheprivateentranceoftheSchool-house，andfoundanopencarriage，withArthurproppedupwithpillowsinit，lookingalreadybetter，Tomthought。
　　Theyjumpedupontothestepstoshakehandswithhim，andTommumbledthanksforthepresentshehadfoundinhisstudy，andlookedroundanxiouslyforArthur’smother。
　　East，whohadfallenbackintohisusualhumour，lookedquaintlyatArthur，andsaid，-
　　“Soyou’vebeenatitagain，throughthathot-headedconvertofyoursthere。He’sbeenmakingourlivesaburdentousallthemorningaboutusingcribs。Ishallgetflooredtoacertaintyatsecondlesson，ifI’mcalledup。“
　　Arthurblushedandlookeddown。Tomstruckin，-
　　“Oh，it’sallright。He’sconvertedalready；healwayscomesthroughthemudafterus，grumblingandsputtering。“
　　Theclockstruck，andtheyhadtogoofftoschool，wishingArthurapleasantholiday，Tom，lingeringbehindamomenttosendhisthanksandlovetoArthur’smother。
　　Tomrenewedthediscussionaftersecondlesson，andsucceededsofarastogetEasttopromisetogivethenewplanafairtrial。
　　Encouragedbyhissuccess，intheevening，whentheyweresittingaloneinthelargestudy，whereEastlivednowalmost，“viceArthuronleave，“afterexaminingthenewfishing-rod，whichbothpronouncedtobethegenuinearticle“playenoughtothrowamidgetiedonasinglehairagainstthewind，andstrengthenoughtoholdagrampus“，theynaturallybegantalkingaboutArthur。Tom，whowasstillbubblingoverwithlastnight’ssceneandallthethoughtsofthelastweek，andwantingtoclinchandfixthewholeinhisownmind，whichhecouldneverdowithoutfirstgoingthroughtheprocessofbelabouringsomebodyelsewithitall，suddenlyrushedintothesubjectofArthur’sillness，andwhathehadsaidaboutdeath。
　　Easthadgivenhimthedesiredopening。Afteraserio-comicgrumble，“thatlifewasn’tworthhaving，nowtheyweretiedtoayoungbeggarwhowasalways’raisinghisstandard；’andthathe，East，waslikeaprophet’sdonkey，whowasobligedtostruggleonafterthedonkey-manwhowentaftertheprophet；thathehadnoneofthepleasureofstartingthenewcrotchets，anddidn’thalfunderstandthem，buthadtotakethekicksandcarrytheluggageasifhehadallthefun，“hethrewhislegsupontothesofa，andputhishandsbehindhishead，andsaid，-