Here I sit at the desk again

　　'Now, boys, this is a new half.  Take care what you're about, in this new  half. Come  fresh  up to  the  lessons, I  advise  you, for  I  come fresh  up  to the punishment.  I won't flinch.  It will be of no use your rubbing yourselves;  you won't rub the marks out that I shall give you.  Now get to work, every boy!'

　　When this  dreadful exordium  was over,  and Tungay  had stumped  out again, Mr. Creakle came to where I  sat, and told me that  if I were famous for  biting, he was famous for  biting, too.  He  then showed me  the cane, and  asked me what I thought of  THAT, for  a tooth?   Was it  a sharp  tooth, hey?   Was it a double tooth, hey?  Had  it a deep  prong, hey?  Did  it bite, hey?   Did it bite?   At every question he gave  me a fleshy cut  with it that made  me writhe; so I  was very soon made free  of Salem House (as  Steerforth said), and was  very soon in tears also.

　　Not that I  mean to say  these were special  marks of distinction,  which only I received.  On the contrary, a large majority of the boys (especially the smaller ones) were visited  with similar instances  of notice, as  Mr. Creakle made  the round of the schoolroom.  Half the establishment was writhing and crying, before the day's work began; and how much of it had writhed and cried before the  day's work  was  over,  I  am  really afraid  to  recollect,  lest  I  should seem  to exaggerate.

　　I should think there never can have  been a man who enjoyed his profession  more than Mr. Creakle did.  He had a  delight in cutting at the boys, which  was like the satisfaction of a craving appetite. I am confident that he couldn't resist a chubby boy, especially; that  there was a fascination  in such a subject,  which made him restless in his mind, until he had scored and marked him for the day. I was chubby myself, and ought to know.  I am sure when I think of the fellow now, my blood rises against him with the disinterested indignation I should feel if I could have known  all about him  without having ever  been in his  power; but it rises hotly, because I know him to have been an incapable brute, who had no more right to be possessed of the great trust he held, than to be Lord High  Admiral, or Commander-in-Chief -  in either of  which capacities it  is probable that  he would have done infinitely less mischief.

　　Miserable little propitiators of a remorseless Idol, how abject we were to  him! What a launch in life I think it now, on looking back, to be so mean and servile to a man of such parts and pretensions!

　　Here I sit at the desk again, watching his eye - humbly watching his eye, as  he rules a ciphering-book for another  victim whose hands have just  been flattened by that identical ruler, and who is trying  to wipe the sting out with a  pocket handkerchief.  I  have plenty  to do.   I don't  watch his  eye in idleness, but because I am morbidly attracted to it, in a dread desire to know what he will do next, and whether it will  be my turn to suffer,  or somebody else's. A lane  of small boys beyond me, with the same interest in his eye, watch it too.  I  think he knows it, though he pretends he  don't. He makes dreadful mouths as he  rules the ciphering-book; and now he throws his eye sideways down our lane, and we all droop over our books and tremble.  A moment afterwards we are again eyeing  him. An  unhappy  culprit, found  guilty  of imperfect  exercise,  approaches at  his command.   The culprit  falters excuses,  and professes  a determination  to  do better tomorrow.  Mr. Creakle cuts a joke  before he beats him, and we laugh  at it, - miserable little dogs, we laugh,  with our visages as white as ashes,  and our hearts sinking into our boots.