ducing it, and
almost forgetting that the others were present.

"Ah, well, now you see _I'm_ going to rifle it. Ah! what have we here?
why, here's a whole sovereign, and eight shillings; that looks
suspicious, doesn't it?" said Charlie archly.

"No," said Elgood, laughing; "you went with me yourself when I bought my
desk for eighteen shillings, and the rest--"

"All right," said Charlie. "Look, you fellows: Elgood and I put down
this morning the other things he's bought, and they come to fourteen
shillings. I know they're right, for I didn't like Elgood to be wrongly
suspected, so Walter want with me to the shops; indeed it was chiefly
spent at Coles's"--at which remark they all laughed, for Coles's was the
favourite "tuck shop" of the boys. "Well, now, 1 pound, 8 shillings
plus 18 shillings plus 14 shillings makes 3 pounds, the sum which Elgood
received from home. Is that plain?"

"As plain as a pike-staff," said Bliss; "and you're a little brick,
Evson; and it's a chouse if any one suspects Elgood any more."

Wilton suggested something about Elgood being Whalley's fag.

"Shame, Raven," said Kenrick; "why, what a suspicious fellow you must
be; there's no ground whatever to suspect Elgood now."

"I only want the fellow found out for the honour of the house," said
Wilton, with a sheepish look at this third rebuff.

"Oh, I forgot about that for the moment," said Charlie; "Whalley,
please, you know the time, don't you, when the money was taken from your
desk?"

"Yes; it must have been between four and six, for I saw it safe at four,
and it was gone when I came back after tea."

"Then all right," said Charlie joyfully, "for at that very time, all of
it, Elgood was in my brother's study with me, learning some lessons.
Now then, is Elgood clear?"

"As clear as noonday," shouted several of them, patting the poor child
on the head.

"And really, Charlie, we're all very much obliged to you," said Whalley,
"for setting this matter straight. But now, as it _isn't_ Elgood, who
_is_ the thief? We must all set ourselves to discover."

"And we _shall_ discover," said Bliss; "he's probably here now. Who is
it?" he asked, glancing round. "Well, whoever it is, I don't envy him
his sensations at this minute."

The meeting broke up, and Kenrick accompanied Whalley to his study to
concert further measures.

"Have you any suspicion at all about it, Whalley?"

"Not the least. Have you? No. Well, then, what shal