te; while carelessly thrown down
on the top of a cupboard was an article for the possession of which many
a, boy would have bartered the whole of his worldly wealth--a bit of
worn blue velvet and the tarnished remnant of what had once been a gold
tassel--the "footer cap" of Ronleigh College.

But it was not so much the furniture as the occupants of the study that
attracted Diggory's attention. John Acton, a tall, wiry fellow, who
looked as though his whole body was as hard and tough as whip-cord, was
standing leaning on the end of the mantelpiece talking to another of the
seniors, who sat sprawling in a folding-chair on the other side of the
fire; while seated at the table, turning over the leaves of what
appeared to be a big manuscript book, was no less a personage than
Allingford, the school captain.

"I don't understand a bit what's coming to 'Thirsty,'" the football
leader was saying. "I was rather chummy with him when we were in the
Fifth, and he was all right then, but now he seems to be running to seed
as fast as he can; and I believe it's a great deal that fellow
Fletcher.--Hullo, youngster! what d'you want?"

"I was told you wanted to see me," said Diggory nervously.

"Oh yes. You were at The Birches, that school near Chatford, weren't
you? Well, I want to hear about that love affair my young brother had
with the old chap's daughter.--It was an awful joke," added the speaker,
addressing his companions. "He was about fourteen, and she's a grown-up
woman; and he was awfully gone, I can tell you.--How did he pop the
question?"

"He wrote," answered Diggory. "We tossed up whether he should do that
or speak."

There was a burst of laughter.

"Did you see the letter?"

"Yes."

"What did he say?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not? don't you remember?"

"Yes; but he only showed me the letter on condition I wouldn't ever tell
any one what was in it."

"Oh, that's all rot! you can tell me; I'm his brother. Come, out with
it."

It was an awful thing to beard the lion in his den--for a new boy to
face so great a personage as the football captain, and refuse
point-blank to do as he was told. Diggory shifted uneasily from one
foot to another, and then glancing up he became aware of the fact that
Allingford was gazing at him across the table with a curious expression,
which somehow gave him fresh encouragement to persist in his refusal to
disclose the contents of his former friend's love-letter.

"I