"I wish that we hadn't talked of it before the others. If one of them lets out that Rexworth will not fight, Elgert is sure to make no end of it. I understand why Rexworth don't like it, and it is all right, but still—oh, he will have to fight, like it or not, and that is all about it."
Morning lessons occupied their thoughts after breakfast, and Ralph found himself quite eager to master the things which, while they were hard to him, seemed easy to his companions. He had already determined that he would excel with dumb-bells and Indian clubs, and now it was just the same with lessons. He hated to be beaten, and he was not going to be beaten.
And already he reaped the reward of having put in a couple of hours' study the evening before, with Charlton to lend him a hand. He was praised by Mr. Delermain, and rose rapidly from the bottom of the class towards the top, and, thanks to his firmness the day before, he had no more of the unpleasantness with Dobson, who remained persistently at the very bottom of the class.
Slow and steady, he found the best way, doing each thing thoroughly, and thinking only of one thing at a time; and that is always the best way, not only to learn, but to do everything in life.
He was quite surprised when the bell rang—the morning seemed to have slipped away, and he put his books away and went, Charlton with him, into the playground.
"I don't know how I should have got on if you had not helped me last night, and I am very much obliged to you," he said. And the other boy smiled. It was very nice to hear any one say that he had been of use to them.
The pair sauntered across the playground, and presently they saw that Horace Elgert and some of his chums were coming towards them, and Ralph stopped, a strange, firm look on his face, and awaited his approach.
Up the others came, and Elgert, hands in pockets, addressed him—
"I want a word with you. You know what we have got to do. You cheeked me last night, and you have got either to thrash me or be thrashed."
Elgert spoke very confidently, for, as Warren had feared, he had heard that it was unlikely that Ralph would fight him.