holiday-making townspeople.

I would rather not say very much about the next day. It must seem
almost incredible that I could have failed to see that Weston and
Johnson were making fun of me; and I confess that it was not for want
of warnings that I had made a fool of myself.

I had looked forward to going to school with about equal measures of
delight and dread; my pride and ambition longed for this first step in
life, but Rupert had filled me with a wholesome awe of its stringent
etiquette, its withering ridicule, and unsparing severities. However,
in his anxiety to make me modest and circumspect, I think he rather
over-painted the picture, and when I got through the first day without
being bullied, and made such creditable friends on the second, I began
to think that Rupert's experience of school life must be due to some
lack of those social and conversational powers with which I seemed to
be better endowed. And then Weston's acting would have deceived a
wiser head than mine. And the nursemaids had always listened so
willingly!

As it happened, Rupert was unwell next day and could not go to
school. He was obviously afraid of my going alone, but I had no fears.
My self-satisfaction was not undone till playtime. Then not a boy
dispersed to games. They all gathered round Weston in the playground,
and with a confident air I also made my way to his side. As he turned
his face to me I was undeceived.

Weston was accustomed--at such times as suited his caprice and his
resources--to give exhibitions of his genius for mimicry to the rest
of the boys. I had heard from Rupert of these entertainments, which