egan again, speaking for the sake of speaking, and
not even knowing what he was going to say--"the fact is--" Here the
street door opened, and there entered hurriedly a boy whom Loman, to his
confusion and consternation, recognised as Simon of the Fifth, the
author of the "Love-Ballad." What could the monitor say for himself to
explain his presence in this prohibited house?

"Hullo, Loman, I say, is that you?" remarked Simon.

"Oh, Simon, how are you?" faltered the wretched Loman; "I've just popped
in to speak to Cripps about a fishing-rod. You'd better not come in;
you might get into trouble."

"Oh, never mind. You won't tell of me, and I won't tell of you. Glass
of the usual, please, Cripps. I say, Loman, was that the fishing-rod
you were switching about out of your window that afternoon three weeks
ago?"

Loman turned red and white by turns, and wished the earth would swallow
him! And to think of this fellow, the biggest donkey in Saint
Dominic's, blurting out the very thing which of all things he had
striven to keep concealed!

Mr Cripps's mouth worked up into a still more ugly smile.

"I was below in the garden, you know, and could not make out what you
were up to. You nearly had my eye out with that hook. I say, what a
smash you gave it when it caught in the ivy. Was it broken right off,
or only cracked, eh? Cripps will mend it for you, won't you, Cripps?"

Neither Mr Cripps nor Loman spoke a word. The latter saw that
concealment was no longer possible; and bitterly he rued the day when
first he heard the name of Cripps.

That worthy, seeing the game to have come beautifully into his own
hands, was not slow to take advantage of it. He beckoned Loman into the
inner parlour, whither the boy tremblingly followed, leaving Simon to
finish his glass of "the usual" undisturbed.

I need not repeat the painful conversation that ensued between the
sharper and the wretched boy. It was no use for the latter to deny or
explain. He was at the mercy of the man, and poor mercy it was.
Cripps, with many oaths and threats, explained to Loman that he could,
if he chose, have him up before a magistrate for fraud, and that he
would do so for a very little. Loman might choose for himself between a
complete exposure, involving his disgrace for life, or paying the price
of the rod down and 20 besides, and he might consider himself lucky more
was not demanded.

The boy, driven to desperation between terror and s