groans and
growls out of the harmonium, he started off on the first verse of "The
Mermaid," a song which he was destined in after years to sing under
strangely different circumstances:--

"Oh, 'twas in the broad Atlantic, 'mid the equinoctial gales,
That a gay young tar fell overboard, among the sharks and whales;
And down he went like a streak of light, so quickly down went he,
Until he came to a mermaid at the bottom of the deep blue sea."

Then the audience took up the chorus, and yelled,--

"Rule, Britannia! Bri--tann--ia rules the waves!
And Bri--tons never, never, ne--ver shall be
Mar--ri--ed to a mer--mai--ed
At the bottom of the deep blue sea!"

The song was received with great enthusiasm, and the performers might
have been kept repeating the last chorus until break of day on the
following morning, it Tinkleby had not suddenly jumped up, crying, "I
say, you chaps, it's five-and-twenty past seven. We shall be late for
lock-up."

Every one sprang to his feet. Dorris was the first to reach the door,
and being of a playful disposition caught up a bundle of coats and
blazers and bolted with them under his arm. A moment later certain of
the peaceful citizens of Melchester were astonished at the sight of a
dozen or more young gentlemen tearing madly down the street in their
shirt-sleeves. And so ended the third annual supper of the Fifth Form
Literary Society.

CHAPTER IX.

"GUARD TURN OUT!"

"He felt for them as he had never felt for any other bird in the world.
He was not envious ... but wished to be as lovely as they."--_The Ugly
Duckling_.

"It is jolly to be here at Brenlands again," said Jack, as he sat
dangling his legs from the kitchen table, and munching one of the sweet
pods of the peas which his aunt was shelling. "I've been looking
forward to it ever since last summer."

"Yes, and a pretty fuss I had to get you to accept my first
invitation," answered Queen Mab; "I thought you were never going to
condescend to favour us with your company. However, I've got you all
here again, and it _is_ jolly; and what's more, you managed to turn up
at the proper time yesterday instead of coming half a day late, as you
did last year, you rascal!"

The boy laughed. "Oh, well! you may put that down to Val," he
answered. "He's quite taken me in hand lately, and has been in an
awful funk for fear I should get into another row just before the
holidays. You know those penny