It had been opened and read as usual, before being handed to him.

He did not complain of that; that was an indignity we had to submit to every time we received a letter.

But what he did complain of, and what had roused his temper, was that the last half-sheet of the letter had been deliberately torn off and not given to him.
Directly after class he had marched boldly to the Henniker's parlour and knocked at the door.
"Come in!" snapped she.
Smith did come in, and proceeded to business at once.
"You haven't given me all my letter, ma'am," he said.
Miss Henniker looked at him with some of the same astonishment with which she had regarded me when I once told her she was to see my socks were regularly darned.
Then she pulled herself up, in her usual chilly manner, and replied, "I am aware of that, Smith." "I want it, please, ma'am," said Smith.
Again the Henniker glared at this audacious youth, and again she replied, "You will not have it, Smith!" "Why not ?" "Leave the room instantly, sir, for daring to speak like that to me, and write out one hundred lines of Caesar before you get your dinner!" cried the Henniker, indignantly.

"You've no right to keep--" "Smith, follow me!" interrupted Miss Henniker, in her most irresistible voice, as she led the way to Mr Ladislaw's study.
Smith did follow her, and was flogged, of course.
I was as indignant as he was at this tale of injustice; it reminded me of my box of sweets last year, which I had never seen back.
Smith's rage was beyond all bounds.

"I won't stand it!" said he; "that's all about it, Fred!" "What can we do ?" asked I.
That was the question.