at he would do if he suddenly found it his duty to denounce an
intimate friend for a crime which was committed to get out of a scrape
in which he himself was implicated. It would be an awful hole to be in!
How far have you told me all this in confidence?"

"I leave that quite to you. I do not ask to be spared myself, but if
you could be cleared and satisfied without Saurin being publicly tried
and sent to prison, I should be very grateful."

"All right! I think I can manage that. And now, don't you bother
yourself; you shall not get into any row, that I promise."

"Oh, Crawley, what a good fellow you are!" cried Edwards. "I wish I had
got killed, instead of only breaking a couple of ribs!"

"And let me in for being tried for manslaughter!" exclaimed Crawley,
laughing. "Thank you for nothing, my boy."

Crawley made up his mind that night what he would do. The next morning
he asked Robarts, Buller, and Smith, _alias_ "Old Algebra," to come to
his room when they came out of school at twelve. Then he made the same
request of Gould, who looked surprised and flustered.

"You will condescend to speak to me at last, then?" he said, sulkily.

"I could not suppose that you wished to hold any communication with a
defaulter," replied Crawley, "and I am sure I could not trust myself in
the company of any fellow who thought me one. I ask you to come to my
room now because I have discovered who took the money, and I want to
clear myself in your eyes."

"All right! I will come if you wish it."

"Thank you very much."

Having thus arranged for his court of inquiry, the next thing was to
secure the attendance of the accused. He found Saurin talking to a knot
of boys, and asked if he could speak to him privately for a moment.

"Well, what is up?" Saurin asked. "You look as grave as a mute at a
funeral."

"Yes," said Crawley, "what I have to say is rather grave. It is about
that four pounds twelve shillings you took out of my box."

"It's a lie!" cried Saurin, turning pale as death.

"And yet the evidence against you is very clear," said Crawley quietly.
"Do you know a man named Josiah Slam, a son of the fellow who lives near
here? Come, I do not wish to prosecute you, unless you force me; I want
to give you a chance. Robarts, Buller, Smith, and Gould are coming to
my room at twelve o'clock to-day, and I mean to take their advice as to
what should be done if you will come there too, and meet them."

"And if