most respectful,' as French people say. But poor Sawyer
understood it--in some respects his perceptions were almost abnormally
sharp; he read between the lines of Jack's rough-and-ready, boy-like
manner, and understood perfectly that here was a chance for him--a
chance in a thousand, of gaining some degree of the popularity he had
hitherto so unfortunately failed to obtain. And to the bottom of his
heart he felt grateful to Berkeley--but alas!

"He grew crimson with vexation.

"'I am dreadfully sorry, Berkeley,' he said, 'dreadfully sorry that
I cannot respond as I would like to your request. At this moment
unfortunately, I am very peculiarly out of pocket. Stay,'--with a
momentary gleam of hope, 'will you let me see the subscription list.
How--how much do you think would please the boys?'

"'A guinea wouldn't be--would please them very much, and of course two
would be still better,' said Jack drily. Already he had in his own mind
pronounced a final verdict upon Mr. Sawyer, already he had begun to tell
himself what a fool he had been for having anything more to do with him,
but yet, with the British instinct of giving an accused man a fair
chance, he waited till all hope was over.

"'A guinea, two guineas?' repeated Mr. Sawyer sadly. 'It is perfectly
impossible;' and he shook his head regretfully but decidedly.
'Half-a-crown, or five shillings perhaps, if you would take it,' he
added hesitatingly, but stopped short on catching sight of the hard,
contemptuous expression that overspread Jack's face, but a moment ago
so sunny.

"No thank you, sir,' he replied. 'I should be very sorry to take _any_
subscription from you, knowing what I do, and so would all my companions.
You're a master, sir, and I'm a boy, but I can tell you I wish you _were_
a boy that I might speak out. I couldn't help seeing what came to you by
post this morning--you know I couldn't--and yet on the face of that you
tell me you're too hard-up to do what I came to ask like a gentleman--and
what would have been for your good in the end too. I'm not going to tell
what came to my knowledge by accident; you needn't be afraid of that, but
I'd be uncommonly sorry to take _anything_ from you for our fireworks.'

"And again Jack turned on his heel, and in hot wrath left the
under-master, muttering again between his set teeth as he did so the one
word 'cad.'

"'Jack,' Mr. Sawyer called after him, but either he did not call loud
enough or Jack would not tak