in the mouth lately; whether it
is about the Nightingale, or--"

The captain gave a howl of rage.

"I wish that miserable brute of a Nightingale had been scragged, that I
do! Everything's stopped for the Nightingale! Who cares a button about
the thing, I'd like to know? Wraysford can get dozens more of them
after the football season's over. Why, the Doctor gave out another
scholarship to be gone in for directly after Christmas, only to-day.
Can't he go in for that?"

"So he will, I expect," said Wren; "but I don't fancy he'll play, all
the same, on Saturday."

Stansfield groaned. "There go my two best men," he said; "we may as
well shut up shop and go in for croquet."

A powerful deputation waited on Wraysford that same evening to try to
prevail upon him to play in the fifteen. They had hard work to do it.
He said he was out of form, and didn't feel in the humour, and was
certain they could get on well enough without him.

"Oh, no, we can't," said Stansfield. "I say, Wraysford," he added,
bluntly, "I expect it's this Nightingale affair's at the bottom of all
this nonsense. Can't you possibly patch it up, at any rate till after
Saturday? I'd give my head to get you and Greenfield in the team."

"Do play, Wraysford," put in Callonby. "Don't let the school be beaten
just because you've got a row on with another fellow."

"It's not that at all," said Wraysford, feeling and looking very
uncomfortable. "It's nothing to do with that. It's just that I'm not
in the humour. I'd really rather not."

"Oh, look here," cried Stansfield; "that won't wash. Come to oblige me,
there's a good fellow."

In the end Wraysford gave in, and the captain went off half consoled to
complete his preparations, and inveigh in his odd moments against all
Nightingales and Coventrys, and examinations, and all such enemies and
stumbling-blocks to the glorious old English sport of football.

Loman looked forward to the coming match with quite good spirits.
Indeed, it was a long time since he had felt or appeared so
light-hearted.

That very day he had received a most unexpected present in the shape of
a five-pound note from an aunt, which sum he had promptly and virtuously
put into an envelope and sent down to Mr Cripps in further liquidation
of his "little bill." Was ever such luck? And next week the usual
remittance from home would be due; there would be another three or four
pounds paid off. Loman felt quite touched at