at subscription for the cricket
things, Mather didn't give anything. He said he had no money."

"No; and he hadn't any," Ripon said, "for I had only the day before
lent him twopence to buy some string, and he paid me when he got his
allowance on Saturday."

"Well, a day or two after that I came back after tea for a book that
I had left behind me, and as I came in at the gate there Mather was
standing at the corner talking to Mother Brown. He had his back to
the door, and they didn't see me. She was talking loud and angry and I
couldn't help hearing what she said."

"Well, what did she say?" Ripon said rather impatiently.

"She said, 'You have disappointed me over and over again, and if you
don't pay me that ten shillings you borrowed of me last half, and the
bill for the cakes, by Saturday, I will see the master and tell him all
about it.' I didn't hear any more; but on the Saturday I saw him go up
to her in the field and pay her something. Of course I don't know what
it was; not all, I think, by the manner in which she took it; still, I
suppose it was enough to content her. About ten days afterward we heard
the book was missing. It didn't strike me at the time; but afterward,
when I thought of it, I remembered that the last time Porson brought
it out was on the Thursday, which was the day after Mather had been
speaking to Mother Brown. Now, of course, Ripon, I don't actually
suspect Mather of taking the book; still it is curious its being missing
just at the time he wanted money so badly. He may have got the money
from home, or he may have borrowed it from some other fellow."

"No," Ripon said positively, "I am sure Mather has had no letter,
because I always distribute the letters, and Mather's people never write
to him; and I am sure there was no fellow in the school had more than
a shilling or two at the outside at that time. Why didn't you tell me
before, Sankey?"

"I didn't like to, because every one knows Mather and I are not good
friends; then I thought perhaps Mather might be able to explain it all
right, and I should have cut a nice figure if he could; then at the time
when I thought of it, and had got the dates right, the first excitement
had died out and I thought we might hear no more of it and it would be
forgotten; but now that the book has been found and the whole thing has
come up fresh again I thought it better to tell you all about it and ask
you what you would advise me to do."

Ripon did not