mpunity to the offender, if present, on condition of his
turning queen's evidence."

"It shall be done at once," said the doctor. "Will you speak to them,
or shall I?"

"It does not much matter," replied Lord Woodruff. "Perhaps the pledge
would come better from me, the natural prosecutor."

"Very good."

The doctor returned to his class-room, not too soon. One of the young
scamps had taken his chair, and was delivering a burlesque lecture, near
enough to the head-master's style to excite irreverent laughter. They
listened for his step upon the stair, however, and when he entered the
room they might have been taken for a synod discussing a Revised Edition
by the extreme gravity of their demeanour.

"We must interrupt our studies for a short time, I am sorry to say,"
observed Dr Jolliffe. "I wish you to assemble at once, but without
noise, in the schools. And, Probyn, run round to the other class-rooms,
and tell the masters, with my compliments, that I wish their classes
also to go there at once, and arrange themselves in their proper places,
as on Examination Days."

The "Schools" was a large room which held all Weston; but the college
was liberal in the matter of accommodation, and only three classes were
habitually held in it, that so the hubbub of voices might not be
inconvenient. For some persons are so constituted that when you seek to
instruct them in Greek, they take an intense interest in mathematics, if
treated upon within their hearing, and _vice versa_. But every class
had its appointed place in the schools, all the same, and in a few
minutes after the summons had gone forth, the boys, not quite broken-
hearted at having to shut up their books, were reassembled in the large
room, wondering what on earth had happened to cause such an unparalleled
infraction of the daily routine. One sanguine youth suggested that they
were to have an extra half-holiday in consequence of the fine condition
of the ice, and he had many converts to his opinion; but there were many
other theories. Saurin alone formed a correct guess at the real matter
in hand, conscience prompting him.

No sooner were all settled in their places than the head-master came in
accompanied by Lord Woodruff, who was known to most present by sight,
and curiosity became almost painful.

"It is he who has begged us the half-holiday," whispered the prophet of
good to his neighbour. "Shall we give him a cheer?"

"Better wait to make certa