ld she think of him now?

* * * * *

Dinner was over in the big hall, and most of the boys had started for
the playing-field. Mr. Ward sat correcting exercises in the deserted
Fifth Form classroom, when there was a knock at the door, and Valentine
entered.

"Well, Fenleigh," said the master kindly, "what do you want?"

"I came to speak to you, sir, about my cousin Jack. Don't you think
there's any chance of getting Mr. Westford to let him off?"

"I'm afraid there isn't. I don't see what excuse can be offered for
your cousin's conduct."

"But there is an excuse, sir," persisted Valentine, his love of honour
and justice causing the blood to mount to his cheeks at the
recollection of Raymond Fosberton's share in the adventure. "It was
not all Jack's fault, and it'll be an awful shame if he's expelled."

Had it been another fellow, Mr. Ward might have pooh-poohed the
objection, and sent the speaker about his business; for, it being
nearly the end of the term, the master had plenty of work to occupy his
attention. He was not given to making favourites among his pupils, but
Valentine was a boy who had won his respect; and so he laid down his
pen to continue the conversation.

"I still fail to see what can be said on your cousin's behalf. If it
was not his fault, who then is to blame?"

Valentine hastily recounted all that had happened on the previous
afternoon. He did not hesitate to give a true account of the bogus
invitation, and repeated all that Jack had told him as to what had
taken place at the fair. Mr. Ward listened patiently till he had heard
the whole of the story.

"There certainly is something in what you say," he remarked. "But the
fact remains that your cousin went to the fair in defiance of the
school rules. There was no reason at all why he should have gone. You
say you came back; then why couldn't he have done the same?"

"If I'd thought that my staying away would have made it any the worse
for him, I'd have gone to the fair myself," said Valentine desperately.

Mr. Ward smiled.

"Well, what do you want me to do?" he asked. "I don't see that I can
be of much service to you in the matter. The only thing I can advise
you to do is to go to Mr. Westford, and tell him exactly what you have
told me."

"I thought perhaps you might say a word for him too, sir," pleaded the
boy. "He's been behaving a lot better lately than he used to do."

"There certainly was