breach of trust to my father; so I refused steadily to
answer, and suffered the consequences now on my dear father's
behalf. Heriot's aunt brought me a cake, and in a letter from him an
extraordinary sum of money for a boy of my age. He wrote that he knew I
should want it to pay my debts for treats to the boys and keep them in
good humour. He believed also that his people meant to have me for
the Christmas holidays. The sum he sent me was five pounds, carefully
enclosed. I felt myself a prince again. The money was like a golden
gate through which freedom twinkled a finger. Forthwith I paid my debts,
amounting to two pounds twelve shillings, and instructed a couple of
day-boarders, commercial fellows, whose heavy and mysterious charges for
commissions ran up a bill in no time, to prepare to bring us materials
for a feast on Saturday. Temple abominated the trading propensities
of these boys. 'They never get licked and they've always got money, at
least I know they always get mine,' said he; 'but you and I and Heriot
despise them.' Our position toward them was that of an encumbered
aristocracy, and really they paid us great respect. The fact was that,
when they had trusted us, they were compelled to continue obsequious,
for Heriot had instilled the sentiment in the school, that gentlemen
never failed to wipe out debts in the long run, so it was their interest
to make us feel they knew us to be gentlemen, who were at some time or
other sure to pay, and thus also they operated on our consciences. From
which it followed that one title of superiority among us, ranking next
in the order of nobility to the dignity conferred by Mr. Rippenger's
rod, was the being down in their books. Temple and I walked in the halo
of unlimited credit like more than mortal twins. I gave an order for
four bottles of champagne.

On the Friday evening Catman walked out with us. His studious habits
endeared him to us immensely, owing to his having his head in his book
on all occasions, and a walk under his superintendence was first cousin
to liberty. Some boys roamed ahead, some lagged behind, while Catman
turned over his pages, sounding the return only when it grew dark. The
rumour of the champagne had already intoxicated the boys. There was a
companion and most auspicious rumour that Boddy was going to be absent
on Saturday. If so, we said, we may drink our champagne under Catman's
nose and he be none the wiser. Saddlebank undertook to manage our fe