he shoulder.

"Stanley!"

At his touch, Stanley turned swiftly round and confronted him with
blazing eyes.

"What do you want with me?"

"To speak with you for a few moments--alone."

"I've had as much speaking with you as I ever want to have. I never wish
to speak with you again--never, never!" He was greatly agitated. His
voice was trembling with passion; but it grew calmer and harder, as,
turning to his new-found companions, he said:

"You hear what I say, Newall; and you, Parfitt. You are my witnesses."

"Yes, we hear. We are your witnesses," said Parfitt.

"Thanks!" And without waiting an answer from Paul, the three passed on.
Not that Paul had an answer to give. He could not have spoken had his
life depended on it. He was too staggered; too pained. Never speak to
Stanley again! He with whom he had been on the closest terms of
friendship ever since he had been at Garside!

"Had he listened to me for a few moments I could have explained all. He
doesn't dream who Wyndham is. He can be as stubborn as a mule. And what
a look he gave me!" thought Paul. "I never dreamt that Stan would ever
look at me in that way. I know what it is--it isn't Stan himself. It's
those fellows he's picked up. He's sore against me, and they keep
rubbing it in to keep the sore open. If I could only get him away from
them."

Paul thought for a moment or two how he should act. In spite of
Stanley's hard words, he had no intention that the friendship which had
existed between them should be severed without one more effort on his
part to heal the breach. They were bound to meet in the dormitory that
night. It would then be possible for him to whisper a word or two of
explanation.

But when evening came he found to his dismay that Stanley had left the
dormitory. He had got permission to exchange cubicles with Leveson; so
that he was now in the same dormitory as Newall.

"He's gone over bag and baggage to the enemy," said Paul sorrowfully.
"If Parfitt had only walked his chalks, and taken up his quarters with
his friend Newall, we could very well have spared him; but Stan----"

He glanced round. Parfitt was watching him from the side of his bed,
enjoying his discomfiture. That did not serve to lessen Paul's sorrow.

"----forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against
us."

Very earnestly he breathed the divine prayer that evening. The breach
between him and Stanley seemed to be widening. What was to be done?