they regard you in the same light they don't even want to know which is
which. Well, now you know that, it seems to me you are all right anyhow.
You see your brother didn't know that, and when this woman told him she
was his mother, and that the whole thing had been a preconcerted plot on
her part, I can quite understand his going straight away. I think we
should all have done the same if we had had the same story told to us,
and had seen we were intended to be parties to a fraud of that sort.
Well, I am glad you told us, but I do not think there is any occasion
for the story to go further."

"Certainly not," Easton agreed, "it would do no good whatever; and of
course it would never be kept in the house, but would come to be the
talk of the whole school. All that need be said is that Clinton has told
us the reason of his brother leaving so suddenly, that we are all of
opinion that he acted perfectly rightly in doing so, and that nothing
more is to be said about the matter. We will each give Clinton our word
of honour not to give the slightest hint to anyone about it, or to say
that it is a curious story or anything of that sort, but just to stick
to it that we have heard all about it and are perfectly satisfied."

"That will certainly be the best plan," Pinkerton agreed; "but I think
it would be as well for us to say he has left for family reasons, and
that it is nothing in any way connected with himself, and that we hope
that he will be back again next term."

"Yes, we might say that," Easton agreed; "family reasons mean all sorts
of things, and anyone can take their choice out of them. Well, Clinton,
I shouldn't worry over this more than you can help. I daresay Edgar will
be found in a day or two. At any rate you may be sure that no harm has
come to him, or is likely to come to him. If he emigrates, or anything
of that sort, he is pretty safe to make his way, and I am sure that
whatever he is doing he will always be a gentleman and a good fellow."

"That he will," Mossop said cordially. "I hope we should all have done
as he has under the same circumstances, but it would be a big temptation
to some fellows to have the alternative of a good fortune and a nice
estate on one side, and of going out into the world and making your own
living how you can on the other."

There was a chorus of assent.

"Yes," Easton said, "it is very easy to say 'Do what is right and never
mind what comes of it;' but we should all find it