, sir," said East, stepping out, and not liking that the Doctor
should think lightly of his running powers, "we got round Barby all
right; but then--"

"Why, what a state you're in, my boy!" interrupted the Doctor, as the
pitiful condition of East's garments was fully revealed to him.

"That's the fall I got, sir, in the road," said East, looking down at
himself; "the Old Pig came by--"

"The what?" said the Doctor.

"The Oxford coach, sir," explained Hall.

"Hah! yes, the Regulator," said the Doctor.

"And I tumbled on my face, trying to get up behind," went on East.

"You're not hurt, I hope?" said the Doctor.

"Oh no, sir."

"Well now, run upstairs, all three of you, and get clean things on, and
then tell the housekeeper to give you some tea. You're too young to try
such long runs. Let Warner know I've seen you. Good-night."

"Good-night, sir." And away scuttled the three boys in high glee.

"What a brick, not to give us even twenty lines to learn!" said the
Tadpole, as they reached their bedroom; and in half an hour afterwards
they were sitting by the fire in the housekeeper's room at a sumptuous
tea, with cold meat--"Twice as good a grub as we should have got in the
hall," as the Tadpole remarked with a grin, his mouth full of buttered
toast. All their grievances were forgotten, and they were resolving to
go out the first big-side next half, and thinking hare-and-hounds the
most delightful of games.

A day or two afterwards the great passage outside the bedrooms was
cleared of the boxes and portmanteaus, which went down to be packed by
the matron, and great games of chariot-racing, and cock-fighting, and
bolstering went on in the vacant space, the sure sign of a closing
half-year.

Then came the making up of parties for the journey home, and Tom joined
a party who were to hire a coach, and post with four horses to Oxford.

Then the last Saturday, on which the Doctor came round to each form to
give out the prizes, and hear the master's last reports of how they
and their charges had been conducting themselves; and Tom, to his huge
delight, was praised, and got his remove into the lower fourth, in which
all his School-house friends were.

On the next Tuesday morning at four o'clock hot coffee was going on in
the housekeeper's and matron's rooms; boys wrapped in great-coats and
mufflers were swallowing hasty mouthfuls, rushing about, tumbling over
luggage, and asking questions all at once of the matro