ly.

"No, don't; please don't! I'd rather not. I dare say he's sorry for
it."

"I'll see he is!" growled Mr Cripps.

"Besides, I've forgiven him," said Stephen, "and oughtn't to have told
tales of him; so mind you don't do it, Mr Cripps, will you?"

"I'll see," said Mr Cripps. "Good-bye for the present, young
gentleman, and come again soon."

And so, at peace with all the world, and particularly with himself,
Stephen strolled back to Saint Dominic's, whistling merrily.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

THE DOCTOR AMONG THE GUINEA-PIGS.

The _Dominican_ appeared once more before the holidays, and, as might
have been expected (besides its usual articles at the expense of the
Sixth Form), made itself particularly merry over the rebellion of the
Guinea-pigs and Tadpoles.

Pembury was not the fellow to give quarter in his own particular line of
attack; and it must be confessed he had the proud satisfaction of making
his unfortunate young victims smart.

The "leading article" of the present number bore the suggestive title,
"Thank Goodness!" and began as follows:

"Thank goodness, we are at last rid of the pest which has made Saint
Dominic's hideous for months past! At a single blow, with a single clap
of the hands, we have sent Guinea-pigs and Tadpoles packing, and can now
breathe pure air. No longer shall we have to put up with the plague.
We are to be spared the disgust of seeing them, much more of talking to
them or hearing their hideous voices. No longer will our morning milk
be burned; no longer will our herrings be grilled to cinders; no longer
will our jam be purloined; no longer will our books and door-handles be
made abominable by contact with their filthy hands! Thank goodness!
The Doctor never did a more patriotic deed than this! The small animals
are in future to be kept to their own quarters, and will be forbidden
the liberty they have so long abused of mixing with their betters. It
is as well for all parties; and if any event could have brightened the
last days of this term, it is this--" and so on.

Before this manifesto, a swarm of youngsters puzzled on the day of
publication with no little bewilderment and fury. They had refused to
allow any of their number to act as policeman, and had secretly been
making merry over the embarrassment of their late persecutors, and
wondering whatever they would be able to say for their humiliated selves
in the _Dominican_--and lo! here was an article which, i