ll think it all over. You shall have my answer in a day or two,"
and without another word left the room and sauntered off.

"What is the matter, Edgar?" Rupert asked two hours later. "I have been
looking for you everywhere, and young Johnson has only just said that
you told him to tell me you were feeling very seedy, and were going to
lie down for a bit."

"I have got a frightful headache, Rupert," Edgar, who was lying with
his face to the wall, said. "I am too bad to talk, old fellow; let me
alone. I daresay I shall be all right when I have had a night's sleep.
Tell River-Smith, will you, that I am seedy, and cannot come down to
tea. I do not want the doctor or anything of that sort, but if I am not
all right in the morning, I will see him."

Rupert went out quietly. It was something new Edgar's being like this,
he never remembered him having a bad headache before. "I expect," he
said to himself, "he got hurt in one of those scrimmages yesterday,
although he did not say anything about it. I do hope that he is not
going to be ill. The examinations are on next week, it will be a
frightful nuisance for him to miss them." He went into Edgar's dormitory
again the last thing. He opened the door very quietly in case he should
be asleep.

"I am not asleep," Edgar said; "I am rather better now. Good-night,
Rupert," and he held out his hand. Rupert was surprised at the action,
but took his hand and pressed it.

"Good-night, Edgar. I do hope that you will be all right in the
morning."

"Good-night, old fellow. God bless you!" and there was almost a sob in
the lad's voice.

Rupert went out surprised and uneasy. "Edgar must be worse than he
says," he thought to himself. "It is rum of him saying good-night in
that way. I have never known him do such a thing before. I wish now that
I had asked River-Smith to send round for the doctor. I daresay Edgar
would not have liked it, but it would have been best; but he seemed so
anxious to be quiet and get off to sleep, that I did not think of it."

The first thing in the morning Rupert went to his brother's dormitory to
see how he was. He tapped at the door, but there was no answer. Thinking
that his brother was asleep, he turned the handle and went in. An
exclamation of surprise broke from him. Edgar was not there and the bed
had not been slept in, but was just as he had seen it when Edgar was
lying on the outside. On the table was a letter directed to himself. He
tore it open.