ould
have him tell how he happened to be present. Don't you think he would
make a hit?'

"'He would surely make a hit--a resounding hit,' I said, 'but not as a
proof of respectability. Even if the Bishop is your ancestor, you have
no good title to his bones. I presume that every visitor to the old
church puts his name and address in a register?'

"'Yes.'

"'Well, suppose the theft is discovered and the verger gives you away.
All the money you've got wouldn't keep you out of prison.'

"Harry began to turn pale. He was a good fellow, but this genealogical
frenzy had turned his head, and his head was not as old as the
Bishop's. It was unduly young.

"'Assume that you get home with your prize, the Bishop's head would be
the worst enemy that his descendants ever had. It would always accuse
you and grin at your follies. And would you dare proclaim the truth
over in Pointview that you really have the skull of the Bishop of St.
Clare?'

"The boy was scared. He had suddenly discovered an important fact. It
was the north pole of his education.

"'By Jove! I'm an ass,' he said. 'What shall I do with it?'

"'Say nothing of the thing to anybody, not even to your father, and
get rid of it.'

"'That's what I'll do,' he said, as he wrapped the skull in a piece of
newspaper, hid it under his coat, and left me.

"We sailed next afternoon, and that evening, when Harry and I sat
alone in a corner of the deck, I asked him what he had done with the
Bishop's head.

"'Tried to get rid of it, but couldn't,' he said. 'My conscience
smote me, and I took the old bone back to St. Mary's. Going to do
my duty like a man, you see, but it wouldn't work. New verger on the
job! I weakened. Then I put it in a box and had it addressed to a
fictitious man in Bristol, and sent my valet to get it off by
express. It went on, and was returned for a better address. You see,
my valet--officious ass!--had left his address at the express office.
How _gauche_ of him! While we were lying at the dock a messenger
came to my state-room with the Bishop's head. I had to take it and
pay five shillings and a sixpence for the privilege.'

"'The old Bishop seems to be quite attached to his new relative,' I
said.

"'Yes, but when the deck is deserted, by and by, I'm going to drop him
overboard.'

"And that is what he did--dropped it, solemnly, from the ship's side
at dinnertime, and I witnessed the proceeding.

"The adventure had one result that was rathe