the chaffing remarks
of his acquaintances and the knowing looks of the juniors made him
shiver with righteous anger. He did not like being pilloried. He had
desperate thoughts of going and publicly kicking Cotton, but he
remembered, fortunately, that Jim would probably only make one mouthful
of him. But he paced his room angrily, and except that he really meant
to keep himself to his resolution of honourable poverty to the term's
end he would have written home. Not to do so cost him a struggle.

There was some one else who eyed this plain manifesto of Gus's position
with anger, and that was the Rev. E. Taylor himself. The house-master
had not been a house-master for years for nothing, and he guessed pretty
shrewdly that some one was writing off a debt with interest against Gus.
The house-master made a still shrewder guess as to who this might be,
for he had watched the dissolution of the partnership of Cotton and Todd
with great interest.

Thus it was that Philips was called into Taylor's room for a quiet
little chat on house matters. "Your idea of a memento to Penfold was an
excellent one, Philips, and the house seems to have taken it up very
heartily."

"Oh yes!" said Philips, naively. "The fellows have taken any amount of
interest, especially Cotton."

"Cotton's is rather a case of Saul among the prophets, isn't it,
Philips?"

"This sort of thing didn't quite seem his line before, sir."

"No; I never thought so myself; but it is very pleasant to make a
mistake, too. I see Todd, who is the best chemist in the house, does not
subscribe at all."

"Most of the fellows thought it rather strange."

"And said so, no doubt?" said the master, looking abstractedly at his
finger-nails.

"H'm!" said Philips, feeling uncomfortable at this thrust. "They may
have."

"You see, Philips," said Taylor, gently, "there ought to have been no
quizzing of Todd, for a contribution to a matter like this ought to be
entirely voluntary--most emphatically so, I think. And if Todd does not
see his way to subscribe--and he is the sole judge--there ought to be no
remarks whatever."

"I see, sir," said Philips, dubiously.

"I was much annoyed to see that Todd's name has been prominently before
the house for the last day or so."

"You mean on the notice-board, sir?"

"Yes; I can quite see why it is. The honorary secretary has not had much
experience in this clerical work before, so he has fallen into a great
mistake. In fact," sa