Conway, with a piece of court-plaster in the shape of a Maltese cross on his right cheek, and I with the silk patch over my left eye, caused a general titter through the room.
"Silence!" said Mr.Grimshaw, sharply.
As the reader is already familiar with the leading points in the case of Bailey versus Conway, I shall not report the trial further than to say that Adams, Marden, and several other pupils testified to the fact that Conway had imposed on me ever since my first day at the Temple School.
Their evidence also went to show that Conway was a quarrelsome character generally.

Bad for Conway.

Seth Rodgers, on the part of his friend, proved that I had struck the first blow.

That was bad for me.
"If you please, sir," said Binny Wallace, holding up his hand for permission to speak, "Bailey didn't fight on his own account; he fought on my account, and, if you please, sir, I am the boy to be blamed, for I was the cause of the trouble." This drew out the story of Conway's harsh treatment of the smaller boys.
As Binny related the wrongs of his playfellows, saying very little of his own grievances, I noticed that Mr.Grimshaw's hand, unknown to himself perhaps, rested lightly from time to time on Wallace's sunny hair.

The examination finished, Mr.Grimshaw leaned on the desk thoughtfully for a moment and then said: "Every boy in this school knows that it is against the rules to fight.