ection Sunday to-day, boys," he said. "Have you all got
your threepenny-bits ready? I like to see my boys give cheerfully and
liberally of their abundance. If any boy does not happen to have any
small change, I can accommodate him if he comes to me."

And this he proceeded to do from a store he had with him of that most
convenient coin--the chosen expression of a congregation's
gratitude--the common silver threepence, for the school occupied a
prominent position in the church, and had acquired a great reputation
amongst the churchwardens for the admirable uniformity with which one
young gentleman after another "put into the plate"; and this reputation
the Doctor was naturally anxious that they should maintain.

I am sorry to say that Mr. Bultitude, fearing lest he should be asked if
he had the required sum about him, and thus his penniless condition
might be discovered and bring him trouble, got behind the door at the
beginning of the money-changing transactions and remained there till it
was over--it seemed to him that it would be too paltry to be disgraced
for want of threepence.

Now, being thus completely furnished for their devotions, the school
formed in couples in the hall and filed solemnly out for the march to
church.

Mr. Bultitude walked nearly last with Jolland, whose facile nature had
almost forgotten his friend's shortcomings on the previous day. He kept
up a perpetual flow of chatter which, as he never stopped for an answer,
permitted Paul to indulge his own thoughts unrestrained.

"Are you going to put your threepenny-bit in?" said Jolland; "I won't if
you don't. Sometimes, you know, when the plate comes round, old Grim
squints down the pews to see we don't shirk. Then I put in sixpence.
Have you done your hymn? I do hate a hymn. What's the use of learning
hymns? They won't mark you for them, you know, in any exam. I ever heard
of, and it can't save you the expense of a hymnbook unless you learnt
all the hymns in it, and that would take you years. Oh, I say, look!
there's young Mutlow and his governor and mater. I wonder what Mutlow's
governor does? Mutlow says he's a 'gentleman' if you ask him, but I
believe he lies. See that fly driving past? Mother Grim" (the irreverent
youth always spoke of Mrs. Grimstone in this way) "and Dulcie are in it.
I saw Dulcie look at you, Dick. It's a shame to treat her as you did
yesterday. There's young Tom on the box; don't his ears stick out
rummily? I wonder if t