Looking round, they discovered he was not. Russell instantly went to
the library to fetch him, and told him what was going on. He took
Eric's arm kindly as they entered, to show the whole school that he was
not ashamed of him, and Eric deeply felt the delicacy of his goodwill.
"Are you willing to be tried, Williams," asked Avonley, "on the charge
of having written the insulting paper about Mr Gordon? Of course we
know very little how these kind of things ought to be conducted, but we
will see that everything done is open and above ground, and try to
manage it properly."
"There is nothing I should like better," said Eric.
He had quite recovered his firm manly bearing. A quiet conversation
with his dearly loved friend and master had reassured him in the
confidence of innocence, and though the colour on his cheeks had through
excitement sunk into two bright red spots, he looked wonderfully noble
and winning as he stood before the boys in the centre of the room,
modest, and yet with the proud consciousness of innocence in his
bearing. His appearance caused a little reaction in his favour, and a
murmur of applause followed his answer.
"Good," said Avonley; "who will prosecute on the part of the school?"
There was a pause. Nobody seemed to covet the office.
"Very well; if no one is willing to prosecute, the charge drops."
"I will do it," said Gibson, a Rowlandite, one of the study-boys at the
top of the fifth-form. He was a clever fellow, and Eric liked the
little he had seen of him.
"Have you any objection, Williams, to the jury being composed of the
sixth-form? or are there any names among them which you wish to
challenge?"
"No," said Eric, glancing round indifferently.
"Well, now, who will defend the accused?"
Another pause, and Upton got up.
"No," said Eric at once. "You were inclined to distrust me, Upton, and
I will only be defended by somebody who never doubted my innocence."
Another pause followed, and then, blushing crimson, Russell got up. "I
am only a Shell boy," he said; "but if Eric doesn't mind trusting his
cause to me, I will defend him since no other fifth-form fellow stirs."
"Thank you, Russell, I _wanted_ you to offer; I could wish no better
defender."
"Will Owen, Duncan, and Montagu help me, if they can?" asked Russell.
"Very willingly," they all three said, and went to take their seats by
him. They conversed eagerly for a few minutes, seeming to make more
than one discovery during their discussion, and then declared themselves
ready.
"All I have got to do," said Gibson rising, "is to bring before the
school the grounds for suspecting Williams, and all the evidence which
makes it probable that he is the offender. Now, first of all, the thing
must have been done between Friday evening and Saturday morning; and
since the schoolroom door is generally locked soon after school, it was
probably done in the short interval between six and a quarter-past. I
shall now examine some witnesses."
The first boy called upon was Pietrie, who deposed that on Friday
evening, when he left the room, having been detained a few minutes, the
only boy remaining in it was Williams.
Carter, the school-servant, was then sent for, and deposed that he had
met Master Williams hastily running out of the room, when he went at a
quarter-past six to lock the door.