ot to wear these until call-over that afternoon, or possibly next
morning. But I might as well try them on now. And the difficulty was
that it was very difficult to button the six buttons all the way up
without baring my arm half-way at least to the elbow. I made a feeble
attempt, but it presented so many difficulties, and evidently so
seriously perturbed my companion, that I abandoned the attempt,
resolving to try them on under the bedclothes that night.

At the first station a youth of about my own age, with a hat-box and
bag, got into the carriage. Was he, I wondered, a Low Heath chap?
Evidently not. He wore a straw hat, and boots of the ordinary colour,
and--Whew! what a lucky thing I had not forgotten it! He wore his white
collar inside the velvet of his great-coat. And so should I have
continued to do, had not the sight of him called Tempest's injunction to
wear it outside to my memory. I availed myself of the next tunnel to
rectify this serious omission, and had the satisfaction, when we emerged
into daylight, of noticing that neither of my fellow-travellers appeared
to pay much heed to the change. They both stared at me now and then;
but the boy evidently grew tired of that, and curled himself up in a
corner of the carriage and read a _Boy's Own Paper_.

I presently followed his example, and what with reading, and speculating
on my coming entry into Low Heath, and an occasional thought for the
little home at Fallowfield, the time went quickly by.

"Is this Low Heath station?" inquired I, as the train began to slacken
speed.

"Yes," said the boy, regarding me from head to foot with evidently
increased curiosity. "Are you a new kid at the school?"

"Yes," said I.

"Oh my! What a lark!" said he.

I was glad he thought it so.

"Are you at the school?" inquired I.

"Looks like it," said he, getting together his traps hurriedly, and
bounding from the carriage with what I fancied was a broad grin on his
face.

So here I was at last!

CHAPTER SEVEN.

COMING DOWN A PEG OR TWO.

I had half hoped Tempest would be down at the station to meet me. But
he was not: and I had to consider on the spur of the moment how to make
my entry into Low Heath.

Either I might walk, as I noticed a good many of the fellows who got out
of the train did, or I might charter a private fly, as a few of the
swells did, or I might go up in one of the school omnibuses, which was
evidently the popular mood of transp