the examination, and
began to insinuate that I knew all about the missing paper, that--Well,
you know how I distinguished myself."

"It would have served him right if you'd throttled him," observed
Wraysford. "But I say, Noll," added he more gravely, "why on earth, old
man, didn't you say all this then? What a lot of unpleasantness it
would have saved."

"What!" exclaimed Oliver, suddenly firing up, "do you suppose, when the
fellows all chose to believe that miserable idiot's story, I was going
to stir a finger or bother myself a snap about what they thought? Bah!
I'm not angry now, Wray; but, upon my word, when I think of that time--"

"What a pack of curs we all were," said Wraysford, almost as angry as
his friend.

"Hear, hear!" put in Stephen, an observation which had the effect of
making the whole thing ridiculous and so restoring both the friends to
their composure.

"But, Noll, I say, old man," said Wraysford, presently, "of course you
didn't intend it, but if you meant to make every one believe you did it,
you couldn't have gone on better than you did. I'm certain not half the
fellows would have believed Simon if you hadn't--"

"Made such an ass of myself," said Oliver, laughing. "Of course I can
see now how it would all work in beautifully against me, and I'm certain
I've myself to thank for the whole business."

"Now, don't say that. Nothing can excuse the way all of us treated you,
poor old boy. But, thank goodness, it's all right now. I'll let them
know--"

"Now, Wray, that's just what I won't have you do. You must not say a
word to them about it, or, seriously, I'll be in a great rage. If they
can't think well of me of their own accord, I won't have them do it for
anybody else's, so there."

"But, Noll, old man--"

"Upon my word, Wray, I mean what I say. Not a word to anybody."

"Do you mean to say you intend to live at Coventry all your life?"

"It's not Coventry now, is it, Stee, old boy?" said Oliver, with a
bright smile. "And now, Wray," said he, "I want to know how you got on
in the exam to-day. You were going ahead furiously, it seemed to me."

"Yes, but wasn't doing much good, I'm afraid. How have you done?"

"Pretty well; but I hadn't time to touch the last question."

"I knew, as soon as I saw you were entered for the exam," said
Wraysford, "we had all been taking you up wrong. I can guess now why
you went in for it."

"Well, it struck me it might be a way of put