as been proved?"

How could Paul answer him? How could he tell the man before him in what
way Wyndham had proved his friendship to him? Suddenly, it flashed into
Paul's mind that the bold course was the best.

"When I was home last vacation, sir, a gentleman had an accident with
his horse. He asked me to take a packet for him to Mr. Moncrief, the
father of Moncrief minor. I took the packet. On the way I was set on by
two ruffians. I got away from them, but they followed me, and would have
got the packet from me had it not been for the friend I speak of."

Mr. Weevil's eyes began closing as Paul was speaking. When he finished
they opened again.

"What did this friend do?"

"Hid me till the ruffians had gone."

"Good! And that enabled you to get the packet to Mr. Moncrief?"

"Yes, sir."

"Excellent! But, do you know, Percival, this really seems a stranger
story than the other."

"Perhaps so, sir; but I can prove every word of it, if you like. By your
permission, I will send for Mr. Moncrief----"

"No, no; that is altogether unnecessary!" said the master quickly.
"Strange though the story is, I accept every word of it--every word. The
friend you speak of was indeed a friend in need. You must keep your word
to him--it would be an act of baseness to break it. I did not know the
facts, you see. You may leave the rest to me."

Paul's heart bounded joyfully. The bold course had been the right one.
It had succeeded where a weaker course might have utterly failed.

"Thank you, sir. It is very kind of you."

Paul was about to withdraw, when the master called him back.

"Let me see, there was a letter came for you while you were out. There
it is in the rack."

Paul took the letter from the rack as Mr. Weevil turned to his books.
Again his heart gave a great bound. One glance at it told him who it was
from. It was the letter he had been so anxiously awaiting from Mr.
Walter Moncrief.

"It _is_ for you, isn't it?" Mr. Weevil asked, glancing into the boy's
eager face.

"Yes, sir," answered Paul, wondering whether the master suspected who it
was from or had any knowledge of its contents. He inspected the envelope
as he hastened to his dormitory. No; it did not seem to have been
tampered with. Mr. Weevil could not have seen its contents. On reaching
his room, he tore open the envelope, and read:

"My dear Paul,--I received your first letter, but was away from
home at the time, so was unable to answer it.