sn't that a go? But we're going to hush
it up. Honour bright!"

Loman's face at that moment was anything but encouraging. Somehow, this
roundabout way of the poet's seemed particularly aggravating to him, for
he turned quite pale with rage, and, seizing the unhappy bard by the
throat, said, with an oath, "What do you mean, you miserable beast?
What about the paper?"

"Oh!" said Simon, not at all put about by this rough handling--"why,
don't you know? _we_ know who took it, we do; but we're all going to--"

But at this point Simon's speech was interrupted, for the very good
reason that Loman's grip on his throat became so very tight that the
wretched poet nearly turned black in the face.

With another oath the Sixth Form boy exclaimed, "Who took it?"

"Why--don't you know?--oh!--oh, I say, mind my throat!--haven't you
heard?--why, Greenfield senior, you know!"

Loman let go his man suddenly and stared at him.

"Greenfield senior?" he exclaimed in amazement.

"Yes; would you have thought it? None of us would--we're all going to
hush it up, you know, honour bright we are."

"Who told you he took it?"

"Why, you know, I saw him;" and here Simon giggled jubilantly, to mark
what astonishment his disclosure was causing.

"_You_ saw him take it?" asked Loman, astounded.

"Yes; that is, I saw him coming out of the Doctor's study with it."

"You did?"

"Yes; that is, of course he must have had it; and he says so himself."

"What, Greenfield says he took the paper?" exclaimed Loman, in utter
astonishment.

"Yes; that is, he doesn't say he didn't; and all the fellows are going
to cut him dead, but we mean to hush it up if we can."

"Hush yourself up, that's what you'd better do," said Loman, turning his
back unceremoniously on his informant, and proceeding, full of this
strange news, on his solitary walk. What was in his mind as he went
along I cannot tell you. I fancy it was hardly sorrow at the thought
that a schoolfellow could stoop to a mean, dishonest action, nor, I
think, was it indignation on Wraysford's or his own account.

Indeed, the few boys who passed Loman that afternoon were struck with
the cheerfulness of his appearance. Considering he had been miserably
beaten in the scholarship examination, this show of satisfaction was all
the more remarkable.

"The fellow seems quite proud of himself," said Callonby to Wren as they
passed him.

"He's the only fellow who is, if that's so," said Wren