und that man!" said Jack, on the following morning; "I should
like to find out who he is, and why he always speaks to us. I wonder
if Crouch knows anything about him."

Joe Crouch was questioned, and admitted that he knew the man Hanks well
by sight, and had sometimes spoken to him.

Jack explained the reason of his inquiry. "The fellow's got us into
one row already. Why should he always be bothering us for money?"

Joe Crouch stood thoughtfully scratching his head for a moment with the
point of the grass clippers.

"I dunno, sir," he answered; "but maybe I might find out."

CHAPTER X.

"STORMS IN A TEA-CUP."

"'Are you not in a warm room, and in society from which you may learn
something? But you are a chatterer, and your company is not very
agreeable.'"--_The Ugly Duckling_.

At the commencement of the winter term, in addition to being in the
same class and dormitory, the two cousins were thrown still more
together by occupying adjoining desks in the big schoolroom.

"Now I shall be able to keep an eye on you," said Valentine, "and see
that you do some work."

"Shall you?"

"Yes; Helen gave me special instructions that I was to make you behave
yourself. This is my last year; and the guv'nor says if I do well I
shall go on then to an army coach to work up for Sandhurst."

"Well, I suppose I must behave myself, if it's Helen's orders," said
Jack, laughing. "I wish I knew what I was going to do when I leave
this place. I only wish I was going into the army like you. Some fine
day I think I shall enlist."

"Oh, no, you wouldn't. What d'you think Queen Mab would say when she
heard about it?"

"But she wouldn't hear about it," returned the other, with a touch of
his restless discontent. "No one would hear about it. I should call
myself Jones, or something of that sort. It would be a happier life
than that I live at home; and what the guv'nor thinks he's going to do
with me, I'm sure I don't know."

Valentine certainly did his best to follow out his sister's
instructions, and keep Master Jack out of hot water. The latter seemed
to have become a trifle more tractable; perhaps, finding other people
were interested in him, he was led to take more interest in himself.
At all events, his conduct underwent a considerable change for the
better, and his name no longer appeared on every page of the
defaulters' book.

Football was now on, a sport which he specially enjoyed. In addition
to th