here's only one person in it," went on
Leveson calmly, "and that is----"

"Plunger!" came in a chorus.

"When we do agree, our unanimity is wonderful, as the Head used to tell
us," went on Leveson. "Any other pretty bits? Oh--ah! Listen to this:
'Notice. Our poet is stuck for a rhyme to "hunger." If any one can
oblige the poet, we'll give him a paragraph all to himself in the next
number. N.B.--The rhyme must be a name of some kind--bird, beast, or
fish.' Ho, ho! Don't squirm so, Plunger. What branch of the animal
kingdom do you belong to?"

While they were shrieking with laughter at his discomfiture Plunger
shouted above it all:

"Go on--go on! As you have gone so far, you'd better go on a bit
farther. Ah, you're not quite so ready with your reading now, Mr.
Leveson."

The laughter suddenly stopped.

"Read--read," came in a chorus.

And Leveson read: "'Dropped--somewhere near sand-pit on Cranstead
Common--Honour of the Fifth. When last seen, was covered by
crawlers--believed to be Beetles.'"

There was an ominous silence on the part of the senior boys. The juniors
tittered. Leveson screwed up the paper in his hand.

"Mind what you're doing, Leveson. That's my paper," cried Plunger. Then
there was silence again, as Paul Percival entered the room.

CHAPTER XVIII

PAUL WRITES A LETTER

Stanley's head had fallen to his breast as Leveson read that bitter
paragraph from the _Record_. He looked up quickly as Paul entered the
room. For the moment it seemed as though he would speak; then he bit his
lips fiercely to keep back the words that sprang to them, and went from
the room. Newall followed him, then Arbery. One by one they followed his
example--Third Form boys as well as Fifth--until one only
remained--Waterman, who had been comfortably resting in a chair by the
fire throughout the scene described in the last chapter. As the last boy
went out, he glanced up.

"Hallo, Percival! Is that you?"

"Why don't you do the same as the rest of the fellows, and clear out?"
asked Paul bitterly.

"I'm quite comfortable where I am, thank you."

And Waterman stretched out his legs, and settled himself more
comfortably in his chair. Paul could see that it was not altogether a
question of comfort with Waterman. His laziness was only a cloak to
disguise a real feeling of friendship towards him.

"The fellows were discussing me as I came in?"

"I don't quite know what they were discussing. Oh, young Plunger ha