"Well, it won't matter much to you now," said Dick; "you're out of it
all."

"Do you--do you mean to keep me out of it for ever, then?" asked Paul.

"As long as ever I can!" returned Dick frankly. "It will be rather
interesting to see what sort of a fellow you'll grow into--if you ever
do grow. Perhaps you will always be like that, you know. This magic is a
rum thing to meddle with."

This suggestion almost maddened Paul. He made one stride forward, and
faced his son with blazing eyes. "Do you think I will put up with it?"
he said, between his teeth. "Do you suppose I shall stand calmly by and
see you degrading and ruining me? I may never be my old self again, but
I don't mean to play into your hands for all that. You can't always keep
me here, and wherever I go I'll tell my tale. I know you, you clumsy
rogue, you haven't the sense to play your part with common intelligence
now. You would betray yourself directly I challenged you to deny my
story.... You know you would.... You couldn't face me for five minutes.
By Gad! I'll do it now. I'll expose you before the Doctor--before the
whole school. You shall see if you can dispose of me quite so easily as
you imagine!"

Dick had started back at first in unmistakable alarm at this unexpected
defiance, probably feeling his self-possession unequal to such a test;
but, when Paul had finished, he said doggedly: "Well, you can do it if
you choose, I suppose. I can't stop you. But I don't see what good it
would do."

"It would show people you were an impudent impostor, sir," said Paul
sternly, going to the door as if to call the Doctor, though he shrank
secretly from so extreme and dangerous a measure.

There was a hesitation in his manner, in spite of the firmness of his
words, which Dick was not likely to miss. "Stop!" he said. "Before you
call them in, just listen to me for a minute. Do you see this?" And,
opening his coat, he pulled out from his waistcoat pocket one end of his
watch-chain. Hanging to it, attached by a cheap gilt fastening of some
sort, was a small grey tablet. Paul knew it at once--it was the Garuda
Stone. "You know it, I see," said Dick, as Paul was about to move
towards him--with what object he scarcely knew himself. "Don't trouble
to come any closer. Well, I give you fair warning. You can make things
very nasty for me if you like. I can't help that--but, if you do--if you
try to score off me in any way, now or at any time--if you don't keep it
up when