schoolmaster off without knowing it! Why, this is splendid, capital!
You're something like a boy, you little dog, you! This is the best joke
I've heard for many a day!"

"I hope," said Paul, "I haven't inconvenienced you. I could not help it,
really."

"Inconvenienced us? Gad, your schoolmaster came very near
inconveniencing us and you too. But there, he won't trouble any of us
now. To think of our swearing by all our gods there was no boy in here,
and vowing he shouldn't come in, while you were lying down there under
the seat all the time! Why, it's lovely! The boy's got pluck and manners
too. Shake hands, young gentleman, you owe us no apologies. I haven't
had such a laugh for many a day!"

"Then you--you won't give me up?" faltered poor Paul.

"Well," said the one who was called Goldicutt, and who was a jovial old
gentleman with a pink face and white whiskers, "we're not exactly going
to take the trouble of getting out at the next station, and bringing
you back to Dufferton, just to oblige that hot-tempered master of yours,
you know; he hasn't been so particularly civil as to deserve that."

"But if he were to telegraph and get some one to stop me at St.
Pancras?" said Paul nervously.

"Ah, he might do that, to be sure--sharp boy this--well, as we've gone
so far, I suppose we must go through with the business now and smuggle
the young scamp past the detectives, eh, Travers?"

The younger man addressed assented readily enough, for the Doctor had
been so unfortunate as to prejudice them both from the first by his
unjustifiable suspicions, and it is to be feared they had no scruples in
helping to outwit him.

Then they noticed the pitiable state Mr. Bultitude was in, and he had to
give them a fair account of his escape and subsequent adventures, at
which even their sympathy could not restrain delighted shouts of
laughter--though Paul himself saw little enough in it all to laugh at;
they asked his name, which he thought more prudent, for various reasons,
to give as "Jones," and other details, which I am afraid he invented as
he went on, and altogether they reached Kentish Town in a state of high
satisfaction with themselves and their protege.

At Kentish Town there was one more danger to be encountered, for with
the ticket collector there appeared one of the station inspectors. "Beg
pardon, gentlemen," said the latter, peering curiously in, "but does
that young gent in the corner happen to belong to either of y