hurrying on
his dressing-gown.

"Open the door."

"Yes; I'm coming!"

Max opened the door, and Kenneth rushed in.

"Come, old lazy-bones!" he cried; "look sharp! It's a quarter to nine,
and the dad will look dirks and daggers if we keep him waiting."

"I--I'm very sorry," said Max. "I--I dropped off to sleep again. I
thought you would come and call me to bathe."

"What was the use? See what a fuss you made yesterday!"

"But I meant to come."

"Well, don't talk, old chap. Look sharp, and dress."

"Yes; but are you going to stay?"

"Of course, to help you."

Max felt disposed to rebel, and thought it objectionable.

Kenneth saw his looks, and spoke out.

"Look here!" he said; "I'll wait for you in the passage, and look out of
the window."

"Oh, thank you!" cried Max, and the next moment he was alone.

In a few minutes Max's bell rang.

Kenneth went off on tip-toe, and met Grant, who was coming up-stairs
looking rather sulky.

Kenneth said something to the butler, who nodded and went down again,
while Kenneth went softly back grinning, and stood looking out of the
passage window, giving one leg a kick of delight as he heard Max's bell
ring again.

Then there was a pause, and at last the bell rang once more.

"Ten minutes to nine," said Kenneth to himself, with a look of
suppressed glee.

Then Max's door opened.

"Ready?" cried Kenneth.

"No. I'm very sorry, but I've rung three times, and no one has come."

"P'r'aps Grant is busy with father. What do you want--hot water?"

"No," said Max. "The fact is, I got two pairs of trousers very wet
yesterday, and I sent them down to be dried. They haven't been brought
up."

"Oh, is that all?" cried Kenneth. "I'll run and fetch them."

"Oh, thank you!"

Kenneth ran off, and came back at the end of a few minutes, but without
the trousers.

"Thank you," said Max hastily. "I'm ashamed to have let--Why, you
haven't got them!"

"No," said Kenneth. "Are you sure you sent them down? Grant says he
hasn't seen them."

"I gave them to one of the maids."

"It's very strange. No one has seen them. Never mind. Jump into
another pair. The guv'nor will be furious if you are late."

"But I've lost the key of my portmanteau, and I can't put on black this
morning."

"Oh no, that would never do!" cried Kenneth. "Pop on your
knickerbockers."

"I haven't any."

"No knicks! Oh, I say! what will you do? That blessed gong will be
going d