d grinned
complacently as he tied up the new parcel into an exact counterfeit of
the old.

Arthur overhauled it critically, and pronounced it all right. "Now,"
said he, "we'll write him a letter."

He sat down and dashed off the following, Dig nudging vehement approval
of the contents from behind.

"Sir,--I'm a cad and a liar and a thief. Don't believe a word I say.
You can tell anyone you like. Most of them know already. Yours truly,

"Jerry Sneak."

"That's ripping!" exclaimed the admiring Dig, as this elegant epistle
was carefully folded into the original envelope, and, after being gummed
down, was thrust under the string of the counterfeit parcel. "Oh, I
wish I could be there to see it opened!"

"We may get into a row for it," said Arthur. "I don't care. It'll show
him up and be a real leg-up for Marky. Look alive now, and come and put
it back in his room."

So they sallied up once more and carefully replaced the parcel exactly
where they had found it, and then, rejoicing exceedingly, dodged down
again. It seemed to them a politic thing just to look in at the Forum
on their way down, to witness the end of the debate and take part in the
division. They had not the slightest idea what the debate was about,
but they made themselves prominent among the "Ays," and cheered loudly
when the motion was declared to be carried by two votes.

Felgate nodded to them as he passed out, little guessing the real
meaning of the affectionate smile with which they returned the greeting.

"So your cold's better, youngster?" said he to Arthur.

"Looks like it," replied Arthur.

Felgate's first glance as he entered the room was towards the corner in
which he had left his parcel.

He had just been cording it up that evening when he suddenly remembered
his engagement at the Forum, and in the hurry of the discovery he had
carelessly left it out, instead of, as he had intended, locking it up.

"However," thought he to himself, "it's all safe as it happens. I won't
send it over to Bickers till to-morrow afternoon, just before the
master's session. It will be far more effective if he opens it in the
brute's presence; and, after all, I don't care a twopenny-piece if he
knows it comes from me or not--the cad!"

He had half a mind to open the letter and tell Mr Bickers to mention
his name if he chose; but just as he was about to do so Hunger came in
to see him. So he abandoned the idea and locked the parcel up safely