money, and handed it good-humouredly to Panky, who gratefully received
it, and said he would divide it with Hanky. He then held up his hands,
"But," he added, turning to his brother Professor, "so long as I live,
Hanky, I will never go out anywhere again with you."

George then turned to Hanky and said, "I am afraid I must now trouble you
and Professor Panky to depose on oath to the facts which Mrs. Humdrum and
Dr. Downie propose you should swear to in open court to-morrow. I knew
you would do so, and have brought an ordinary form, duly filled up, which
declares that the prisoner is not the poacher you met on Thursday; and
also, that he has been long known to both of you as a harmless
monomaniac."

As he spoke he brought out depositions to the above effect which he had
just written in his office; he shewed the Professors that the form was
this time an innocent one, whereon they made no demur to signing and
swearing in the presence of the Mayor, who attested.

"The former depositions," said Hanky, "had better be destroyed at once."

"That," said George, "may hardly be, but so long as you stick to what you
have just sworn to, they will not be used against you."

Hanky scowled, but knew that he was powerless and said no more.

* * * * *

The knowledge of what ensued did not reach me from my father. George and
his mother, seeing how ill he looked, and what a shock the events of the
last few days had given him, resolved that he should not know of the risk
that George was about to run; they therefore said nothing to him about
it. What I shall now tell, I learned on the occasion already referred to
when I had the happiness to meet George. I am in some doubt whether it
is more fitly told here, or when I come to the interview between him and
me; on the whole, however, I suppose chronological order is least
outraged by dealing with it here.

As soon as the Professors had signed the second depositions, George said,
"I have not yet held up my hands, but I will hold them up if Mrs. Humdrum
and Dr. Downie will approve of what I propose. Their compromise does not
go far enough, for swear as we may, it is sure to get noised abroad, with
the usual exaggerations, that the Sunchild has been here, and that he has
been spirited away either by us, or by the sun his father. For one
person whom we know of as having identified him, there will be five, of
whom we know nothing, and whom we cannot square. Reports will reach the
Kin