"Believe me your attached school-fellow,
"FRANK DIGBY."

A little on one side of the fireplace, which was not far from the open
window, Trevannion was leaning back in a chair that he had tipped on
the hind legs till the back touched the wall behind him, his own legs
being stretched out on another poised in like manner on the two side
legs; this elegant and easy attitude being chosen partly for the
convenience of speaking to Salisbury, who was nicely balanced on
the window-sill, eating plum-cake. As the young gentleman concluded
his delectable harangue, he made an involuntary leap from his narrow
pedestal, plunging on the top of Trevannion's legs, and, tumbling over
him, struck with some violence against Salisbury, who was thrown out
of the window by the same concussion that brought his more fastidious
compeer to the ground, chairs and all. There was a burst of merriment
at this unexpected catastrophe, but nothing could exceed the mirth of
the author of the mischief, who sat in unextinguishable laughter on the
floor, to the imminent danger of his person when the enraged sufferers
recovered their legs.

[Illustration: The finale to Digby's speech.]

"Really! Digby," exclaimed Trevannion, angrily, "this foolery is
unbearable. You deserve that we should give you a thrashing; if it
were not beneath me, I most certainly would."

"You--ha! ha!" returned Frank: "ha! ha!--you must stoop to--ha! ha!--you
must stoop to conquer--for, oh! oh! I can't get up. Pardon me, my dear
fellow, but--oh! ha! ha!--you did look so ridiculous."

"Get up, you grinning donkey!" said Salisbury, who, in spite of his
wrath, could not help laughing.

"Trevannion's legs!" exclaimed Frank, in a choking fit of laughter.

"Get up, Digby," exclaimed Trevannion, kicking him; "or I'll shake some
of this nonsense out of you."

"Do be rational, Frank," said Hamilton's voice from a corner; "you are
like a great baby."

How long Frank might have sat on the floor, and what direful events
might have transpired, I cannot pretend to say, for just at this
juncture the further door opened, and Dr. Wilkinson entered, bearing
a candle in his hand. Frank very speedily found his legs, and retired
into a corner to giggle unseen. The light thus suddenly introduced
brought Reginald and his brother into notice, and one or two near the
door recognizing them, pressed forward to speak to them, and before
the doctor had fairly attai