estion.

"Come up, the first boy," said he abruptly.

The Dux was evidently getting tired of all this business (and no wonder,
it seemed to me), and obeyed the summons not in the best of humours.

"Tempest," said the doctor, "I repeat my question of yesterday. Do you
know anything whatever of this matter?"

"No, sir--I said so," replied the Dux, in a clear voice.

Dr Plummer scowled somewhat at this tart reply. He rather liked his
head boy, and was not prepared to find him, of all others, recalcitrant.

"I do not ask what you said, sir; I ask what you say," said he.

"I said No. I'm not a liar," replied the Dux rather fiercely.

The doctor received this rather more meekly than most of us expected,
and proceeded with his next question.

"Have you the slightest reason to suspect any one of having done it, or
of knowing anything about it?"

Tempest remained silent, with flushed and angry face.

"Do you hear me, sir?" asked the doctor, now thoroughly roused.

"Yes, sir."

"Then why don't you answer at once?"

"I would not answer the question if I could," said the Dux defiantly.

Dr Plummer stared at the boy as if he had been a wild beast.

"How dare you say such a thing to me?" he demanded. "You heard my
question. Have you the slightest grounds for suspecting any one?"

The Dux bit his lips and remained silent.

"Do you hear, Tempest?"

No reply.

"Go to your seat, sir. I will speak to you presently."

Tempest obeyed, with head erect and a red spot on either cheek.

We gazed at him in amazement. We had always given him credit for
hardihood, but we had never believed him capable of mutiny of this kind;
especially--

"Seems to me," whispered Dicky, "he might as well tell right away.
He'll get expelled either way. Anyhow--"

"Brown, come forward."

Dicky started as if he had been detected in the act of holding a pistol
to Hector's head. He was not in the least prepared to be summoned thus
out of his turn; and morally he went to pieces as he rose to obey.

"Mum's the word!" whispered I, encouragingly, as he started for the
front.

The doctor was on the alert with a vengeance to-day!

"Jones, come forward too," said he.

It was my turn to jump now.

"Now, sir, what was that you said to Brown just now?"

My back went up instinctively at his tone.

"I said, 'Mum's the word,'" I replied as doggedly as I could.

The doctor changed colour. This was getting serious. He had no
preced