e, sir! and do what you're told," thundered Jonah.

Teddy staggered forward half a step, but shrank back before he had
finished it to the friendly wall.

Trimble rose from his seat.

"Do you hear me?" he shouted furiously. "Stand where I tell you."

"Please, sir, I can't. I--"

Here Trimble advanced towards him, and Teddy, fairly unnerved and almost
fainting, slipped down from the bench and burst into tears.

"That's it, is it?" said Jonah; "we'll see whether you can or--"

At that instant the door opened, and Jeffreys entered the room.

It did not require the boy's sobbing appeal, "Oh, Jeff, Jeff!" to enable
him to take in the situation at a glance. Nor did it need a second
glance at the face of the intruder to induce Jonah to turn pale.

Jeffreys advanced without a word to the form, brushing Jonah out of his
way with a swing that sent him staggering six paces down the floor, and
putting his arm round Teddy, led him without a word from the room.

"Come along, little chap," said he, when they got outside; "come home."

The sound of his voice revived Teddy like a cordial.

"Do you hate me for blubbering?" he asked anxiously; "wasn't it like a
baby?"

"How long had you been up there?" asked Jeffreys.

"It was half-past one when he stood me up. I had only just been looking
round to see where Freddy was; and oh, Jeff, I've got to write on a
slate just because of a little blot. What's the time now?"

"Half-past five," said Jeffreys, putting on his hat, and swinging
Teddy's satchel over his own arm.

"Are you coming with me Jeff?" asked the boy eagerly.

"Of course you couldn't get home alone."

Great was the content of the little fellow as he left Galloway House
with his hand on the strong arm of his tutor. Greater still were his
surprise and content when, as soon as the streets were past, Jeffreys
took him up on his back and carried him the rest of the way to Ash
Cottage.

"Thanks, awfully, old Jeff," said the boy, as they parted at the gate of
the cottage. "What makes you so kind to Freddy and me?"

"I'm not good at riddles, Teddy. Good-night," and he went.

Jonah, as he was not surprised to find, was expecting him, in a state of
high ferment. Jeffreys would fain have avoided an interview. For he
was constantly discovering that he was still far from sure of himself.
That afternoon his passion had been within an ace of mastering him; and
at any time he dreaded something might happen which w