den Froehlichen zu spielen."
SCHILLER, _Don Carlos_.

Paul was the first to break a very awkward silence. "You young
scoundrel!" he said, with suppressed rage. "What the devil do you mean
by laughing like that? It's no laughing matter, let me tell you, sir,
for one of us!"

"I can't help laughing," said Dick; "you do look so queer!"

"Queer! I may well look queer. I tell you that I have never, never in my
whole life, spent such a perfectly infernal week as this last!"

"Ah!" observed Dick, "I thought you wouldn't find it _all_ jam! And yet
you seemed to be enjoying yourself, too," he said with a grin, "from
that letter you wrote."

"What made you come here? Couldn't you be content with your miserable
victory, without coming down to crow and jeer at me?"

"It isn't that," said Dick. "I--I thought I should like to see the
fellows, and find out how you were getting on, you know." These,
however, were not his only and his principal motives. He had come down
to get a sight of Dulcie.

"Well, sir," said Mr. Bultitude, with ponderous sarcasm, "you'll be
delighted to hear that I'm getting on uncommonly well--oh, uncommonly!
Your high-spirited young friends batter me to sleep with slippers on
most nights, and, as a general thing, kick me about during the day like
a confounded football! And last night, sir, I was going to be expelled;
and this morning I'm forgiven, and sentenced to be soundly flogged
before the whole school! It was just about to take place as you came in;
and I've every reason to believe it is merely postponed!"

"I say, though," said Dick, "you must have been going it rather, you
know. I've never been expelled. Has Chawner been sneaking again? What
have you been up to?"

"Nothing. I solemnly swear--nothing! They're finding out things you've
done, and thrashing _me_."

"Well," said Dick soothingly, "you'll work them all off during the term,
I daresay. There aren't many really bad ones. I suppose he's seen my
name cut on his writing-table?"

"No; not that I'm aware of," said Paul.

"Oh, he'd let you hear of it if he had!" said Dick. "It's good for a
swishing, that is. But, after all, what's a swishing? I never cared for
a swishing."

"But I do care, sir. I care very much, and, I tell you, I won't stand
it. I can't! Dick," he said abruptly as a sudden hope seized him. "You,
you haven't come down here to say you're tired of your folly, have you?
Do you want to gi