"I do wish you'd hold your tongue out of doors about things that don't
concern you," said he.

"Will Dangle get you into a row?" asked Fisher minor.

"Dangle? I'm not responsible to him more than to any one else. The
money's lost; and unless I can find it or make out where the mistake
comes in, I shall have to stump up--that's all."

"But, I say, you haven't got money enough," said the boy.

"I know that, you young duffer."

"Whatever will you do?"

Fisher major laughed.

"I shan't steal it, if that's any comfort to you; and I shan't cook the
accounts."

"I say, I wonder if Rollitt could lend it you. He must have some money,
for he paid for Widow Wisdom's new boat, you know."

"I heard of that. I wish I saw my way to paying my debts as well as he
did."

"I say, shall I ask him?"

"Certainly not. The best thing you can do is to shut up."

Fisher minor felt very grateful to his brother for not thrashing him,
and went in to afternoon school meekly, though out of spirits.

"Well," said D'Arcy, as he took his place, "what's the latest? Who are
you going to get into a mess now! Has Yorke been swindling anybody
lately, or Ranger been getting tight! You're bound to have some story
about somebody."

"I didn't mean-- It's not wicked to lose money," pleaded Fisher minor.
"I never thought--"

"That's just it," said Wally. "You couldn't if you tried. Dangle will
make a nice thing out of it, thanks to you. Classic treasurer been and
collared Modern boys' money--that sort of thing--and they'll kick him
out and stick in one of their own lot, and call it triumph of honesty.
Oh, you beauty; you _can_ do things nicely when you try?"

"I wish I'd never come up here at all," moaned Fisher minor.

"Humph. That would have been a bad go for Fellsgarth," said D'Arcy.
"Shut up--Forder's looking. If we're lagged we shan't get in to the
meeting."

The dreaded misadventure did not occur; and punctually at the hour our
four young gentlemen trooped into Hall. Everything was very quiet
there. The place was only half full. The Classics had turned up in
force, but the mutineering house was so far unrepresented. Presently,
however, five juvenile figures might be seen marching arm in arm across
the Green, keeping a sharp look-out on every side.

Before they arrived in Hall, a solitary figure wearing the Modern
colours had made his way up to the seniors' end. It was Corder, looking
very limp and haggard, and w