th great
anger. "What have you been doing to Heffy this time, Beetle? He's been
jawing us all the evening."

"What has His Serene Transparency been vexin' you for?" said McTurk.

"About Beetle lendin' money to Stalky," began Harrison; "and then Beetle
went and told him that there was any amount of money-lendin' in the
house."

"No, you don't," said Beetle, sitting on a boot-basket. "That's just
what I didn't tell him. I spoke the giddy truth. He asked me if there
was much of it in the house; and I said I didn't know."

"He thinks you're a set of filthy Shylocks," said McTurk. "It's just as
well for you he don't think you're burglars. You know he never gets a
notion out of his conscientious old head."

"Well-meanin' man. Did it all for the best." Stalky curled gracefully
round the stair-rail. "Head in a drain-pipe. Full confession in the left
boot. Bad for the honor of the house--very."

"Shut up," said Harrison. "You chaps always behave as if you were jawin'
us when we come to jaw you."

"You're a lot too cheeky," said Craye.

"I don't quite see where the cheek comes in, except on your part, in
interferin' with a private matter between me an' Beetle after it has
been settled by Prout." Stalky winked cheerfully at the others.

"That's the worst of clever little swots," said McTurk, addressing the
gas. "They get made prefects before they have any tact, and then they
annoy chaps who could really help 'em to look after the honor of the
house."

"We won't trouble you to do that!" said Craye hotly.

"Then what are you badgerin' us for?" said Beetle. "On your own showing,
you've been so beastly slack, looking after the house, that Prout
believes it's a nest of money-lenders. I've told him that I've lent
money to Stalky, and no one else. I don't know whether he believes me,
but that finishes my case. The rest is your business."

"Now we find out," Stalky's voice rose, "that there is apparently an
organized conspiracy throughout the house. For aught we know, the
fags may be lendin' and borrowin' far beyond their means. We aren't
responsible for it. We're only the rank and file."

"Are you surprised we don't wish to associate with the house?" said
McTurk, with dignity. "We've kept ourselves to ourselves in our study
till we were turned out, and now we find ourselves let in for for this
sort of thing. It's simply disgraceful."

"Then you hector and bullyrag us on the stairs," said Stalky, "about
matters that are