aces of the recent outrage.

"They're gone," said Acton. "What shall we do?"

"We'll find one of them, at all events," replied his companion; and
returning once more to the neighbourhood of the studies, he shouted,--

"_Thurston!_"

There was a faint "Hullo!" and a moment later a door opened half-way
down the passage.

"Well, what d'you want?"

Allingford walked quickly forward. "Look here," he demanded sternly,
"where have you been? What have you been doing?"

"Doing!" echoed Thurston; "why, I've been sitting here for the last two
hours with old Smeaton. I asked him to let me come and work in his
study to-night. There's some of this Ovid I can't get on with, and he
promised he'd help me out with it if I'd tell him what it was I didn't
understand."

The captain hesitated a moment, rather nonplussed by this unexpected
reply. "I believe you know something about this affair with Browse," he
continued. "Who did it?"

"Who did what?" demanded Thurston snappishly. "If you mean when he came
banging at my study door last night--"

"No, I don't mean that," interrupted Allingford. "I mean this
blackguard's trick that was played on him to-night."

"I don't know what you're talking about," retorted Thurston angrily.
"Look here, Allingford, I'll thank you not to call me a blackguard for
nothing, for I suppose that's what you're driving at. If you don't
think I'm speaking the truth, ask Smeaton. I suppose you'll take his
word, if you won't take mine."

Smeaton, whose veracity it was impossible to doubt, confirmed the last
speaker's assertions, and Allingford and Acton were forced to beat a
retreat, feeling that they had certainly been worsted in the
encounter.

"What's to be done?" asked Acton, as they re-entered the captain's
study.

"I don't know," answered the other, flinging himself into a chair.
"The only thing I can see is to report it to the doctor."

"Oh, I shouldn't do that; it's more a piece of personal spite than any
disorder and breach of rule, like that reading-room affair. I think
it's a thing which ought to be put down by the fellows themselves.
Who was in Thurston's study last night?"

"I don't know. It may have been those fellows Gull and Hawley, but you
can't accuse them without some evidence; you see what I got just now for
tackling Thurston. Ever since the elections there seem to be a lot of
fellows bent on bringing the place to the dogs. Thurston's hand and
glove with the whole