on in two twos before he could halloa. My eye! I would never have
believed it of Marky. Served Bickers right, of course, and it'll be a
lesson to him; but it'll be hot for Marky if he's found out. Bickers
says there may have been more than one fellow on the job, but I don't
fancy it. If Mark had had anybody, he'd have got me to help him,
because it would be all in the family, and I'd be bound to keep it dark.
Wouldn't he turn green if he knew I'd twigged him! Anyhow, I'll keep
it as close as putty now, and help him worry through. Very knowing of
him to go with a candle and let him out this morning, and look so struck
all of a heap. He took me in regularly."

Arthur said this to himself in a tone which implied that if Mark had
been able to take _him_ in, it was little to be wondered at that all the
rest of the house had been hoodwinked.

"Hard luck," thought he condescendingly. "I daren't tell Dig. He's
such a gossip, it would be all over the place in a day. Wonder if I'd
best let Marky know I've spotted him? Think not. He wouldn't like it,
and as long as he's civil I'll back him up for Daisy's sake."

Then, having stumbled on to the thought of home, it occurred to him that
since the opening day, when he had sent a postcard to announce his
arrival, he had not yet troubled his relatives with a letter this term.
It was a chance, while he was in the humour, to polish them off now; so
he took up his pen, and thus discoursed to his indulgent sister:--

"Dear Da,--Mark's all right so far. He doesn't hit it with a lot of the
chaps, and now and then we hate him, but he lets Dig and me alone, and
doesn't interfere with Smiley. I hope you and he keep it up, because it
would make me look rather foolish if it was all off, especially as
Dimsdale and one or two of the chaps happen to have heard about it, and
have bets on that it won't last over the summer holidays.

"I'm getting on very well, and working hard at French. _Je suis allant
a commencer translater une chose par Moliere le prochain term si je suis
bon_. There's a howling row on in the house just now. Bickers got
nobbled and sacked the other night, and shoved in the boot-box, and
nobody knows who did it. I've a notion, but I'm bound to keep it dark
for the sake of a mutual friend. It would be as rough as you like for
him if it came out. But I believe in _assistant un boiteux chien au
travers de la stile_; so I'm keeping it all dark. Ponsford has been