Alfred moved away, and was soon afterwards joined by his friends Steve and Walter. Steve had just been telling Walter all about Mr. Cottenham’s clever parrot, and how it had saved his life.
“Alfred, what were you talking to King about?” inquired Walter.
“I only told him how sorry I was that he had been punished through me, and that I wanted to shake hands and be friends,” replied Alfred.
“Through you! It served him right,” said Walter; “he is far too fond of bullying boys who are smaller than he is. I am very glad that he will be leaving at midsummer.”
“So am I,” said Steve; “I never did like him, and he has never liked me. He always was fond of playing jokes on new boys. Last year, in May, he persuaded a boy to climb over an orchard-wall to get him some apples. The silly boy came from a big town, and he did not know that there is no fruit on the trees until the autumn, so over the wall he went. A man caught him and beat him, and when the boy told King of it he only laughed at him.”
“The boy is Francis Day; you know him, Alfred, he sits opposite you,” said Walter.
“Yes; he is a very quiet boy, isn’t he? He always does his work well.”
While they were in school, Alfred forgot all about King and Cox, and worked well at his tasks. Cox sat close to him, and was doing some sums. He did the same as Alfred, and seemed to be quite as hard at work.
Dr. Phillips entered.
“Mr. Harmer,” he said, “can you spare, for a few minutes, two of the boys?”