ormidable of the two.

He found him in his study listlessly turning over the pages of a novel,
which evidently must either have been a very stupid one or else not
nearly as engrossing as the reader's own reflections.

He looked up with some surprise to see Wyndham, who since he had
somewhat ostentatiously cut his and Silk's acquaintance some weeks ago,
had never been near him.

"What do you want here?" he demanded, not very encouragingly.

"I know you've not much reason to be friendly with me," began the boy,
"but I want to speak to you, if I may."

"What about?" said Gilks, roughly.

The poor boy seemed suddenly to realise the hopeless nature of the task
he had undertaken, and he nearly broke down completely as he answered,
"I'm in awful trouble, Gilks."

"What's that to do with me?" asked Gilks.

Wyndham struggled hard to shake off the weakness that had come over him,
and replied, "It's about those visits to--to Beamish's. They--that is,
Riddell--I don't know how or who told him--but he seems to have found
out about it."

"Riddell!" cried Gilks, scornfully; "who cares for him?"

"Oh, but," continued Wyndham, tremulously, "he means to report me for
it."

"What? report you? I thought you and he were such dear pious friends,"
sneered Gilks.

"We are friends; but he says it is his duty to do it."

Gilks laughed scornfully.

"Of course, it is! It only needs for a thing to be mean and low, and it
will always be his duty to do it. Bah! the hypocrite!"

Wyndham was proof against this invective. Nay, bitterly as the
captain's sense of duty affected him, he could not help a passing
feeling of indignation on his friend's behalf at Gilk's words.

But he was prudent enough to keep his feelings to himself.

"Of course," said he, "if he does report me for it, I shall be
expelled."

"You may be sure of that," replied Gilks, "but what's all this got to do
with me?"

Wyndham looked up in surprise.

"Why," said he rather nervously. "Of course you know, we, that is you
and I and Silk, are all sort of in the same boat over this affair. That
is, if it all came out. But I fancy Riddell only suspects me."

"Well, if he does," said Gilks, "it's all the less any concern of mine."

"I promised, you know," said Wyndham, "to you and Silk to say nothing
about it."

"Of course you did," said Gilks, "and you'd better stick to it, or it'll
be the worse for you!"

"I think," continued the boy, "and Riddell says