Itwassoonknown，bothathome，wherehelived，andwithinsomemilesofBarchesterCathedral，andalsoatWestminster，wherehewasatschool，thatyoungHenrycouldboxwellandwouldneverownhimselfbeat；otherboyswouldfightwhiletheyhadalegtostandon，buthewouldfightwithnolegatall。Thosebackinghimwouldsometimesthinkhimcrushedbytheweightofblowsandfaintwithlossofblood，andhisfriendswouldendeavourtowithdrawhimfromthecontest；butno，Henrynevergavein，wasneverwearyofthebattle。Theringwastheonlyelementinwhichheseemedtoenjoyhimself；andwhileotherboyswerehappyinthenumberoftheirfriends，herejoicedmostinthemultitudeofhisfoes。
Hisrelationscouldnotbutadmirehispluck，buttheysometimeswereforcedtoregretthathewasinclinedtobeabully；andthosenotsopartialtohimashisfatherwas，observedwithpainthat，thoughhecouldfawntothemastersandthearchdeacon’sfriends，hewasimperiousandmasterfultotheservantsandthepoor。
ButperhapsSamuelwasthegeneralfavourite；anddearlittleSoapy，ashewasfamiliarlycalled，wasasengagingachildaseverfondmotherpetted。Hewassoftandgentleinhismanners，andattractiveinhisspeech；thetoneofhisvoicewasmelody，andeveryactionwasagrace；unlikehisbrothers，hewascourteoustoall，hewasaffabletothelowly，andmeekeventotheveryscullery-maid。Hewasaboyofgreatpromise，mindinghisbooksanddelightingtheheartsofhismasters。
Hisbrothers，however，werenotparticularlyfondofhim；theywouldcomplaintotheirmotherthatSoapy’scivilityallmeantsomething；theythoughtthathisvoicewastoooftenlistenedtoatPlumsteadEpiscopi，andevidentlyfearedthat，ashegrewup，hewouldhavemoreweightinthehousethaneitherofthem；therewas，therefore，asortofagreementamongthemtoputyoungSoapydown。This，however，wasnotsoeasytobedone；Samuel，thoughyoung，wassharp；hecouldnotassumethestiffdecorumofCharlesJames，norcouldhefightlikeHenry；buthewasaperfectmasterofhisownweapons，andcontrived，intheteethofbothofthem，toholdtheplacewhichhehadassumed。Henrydeclaredthathewasafalse，cunningcreature；andCharlesJames，thoughhealwaysspokeofhimashisdearbrotherSamuel，wasnotslowtosayawordagainsthimwhenopportunityoffered。Tospeakthetruth，Samuelwasacunningboy，andthoseevenwholovedhimbestcouldnotbutownthatforonesoyounghewastooadroitinchoosinghiswords，andtooskilledinmodulatinghisvoice。
ThetwolittlegirlsFlorindaandGrizzelwerenicelittlegirlsenough，buttheydidnotpossessthestrongsterlingqualitiesoftheirbrothers；theirvoiceswerenotoftenheardatPlumsteadEpiscopi；theywerebashfulandtimidbynature，slowtospeakbeforecompanyevenwhenaskedtodoso；andthoughtheylookedveryniceintheircleanwhitemuslinfrocksandpinksashes，theywerebutlittlenoticedbythearchdeacon’svisitors。