l clean the statue if Mr Ebden will allow me."

But this was out of the question. The boys were dismissed, and a long
conversation ensued between Mr Ebden and the irate old gentleman.
After that work proceeded as usual, but, knowing that it was Mr Ebden's
invariable rule to allow twenty-four hours to elapse before deciding
upon the punishment for any serious offence, Phil did not permit his
hopes to rise, or imagine that he was to get off easily.

And, as it turned out, he was right. After mature consideration Mr
Ebden summoned the boys, and having read them a lecture, gave Phil the
severest caning he had ever experienced in his life, all of which that
high-spirited lad bore without so much as a whimper. Then he punished
somewhat more mildly the three others who had helped in the prank, and
who, not to be behindhand or allow one to suffer for the fault of all,
had addressed a note to the headmaster the previous evening confessing
their guilt.

"I cannot tell you how annoyed I am," said Mr Ebden in cold tones,
which hurt his pupils far more than the cane. "You have aided and
abetted one another in destroying a work of art, and you have deeply
offended one with whom it was a matter of policy for me to be on good
terms. Those four who did the actual tarring will have to pay for
another statue out of their own pockets, and I shall communicate with
their parents. Now you may go, and let there be no more of this
foolishness."

CHAPTER THREE.

OUT INTO THE WORLD.

Letters did not travel so rapidly in the year 1850 as nowadays, and the
fact that a week elapsed between the despatch of Mr Ebden's note and
its receipt at the vicarage at Riddington was not a matter to lead to
abuse of the postal authorities; for the town in which Mr Western lived
was somewhat remote, and well away from the main line, and epistles
which were addressed to its residents usually lay for a day or more at a
post-office twenty miles away, from which they were removed at most
twice a week. However, arrive the letter did at last, and Mr Western,
gloomier and more severe if possible than ever, sat in his study reading
it for the second time.

"Look at that," he said icily, tossing it across to Joe, who stood in
his favourite position, leaning against the mantel-piece, with his hands
beneath the tails of his coat.

"Humph! The young rascal!" Joe exclaimed with a chuckle, as soon as he
had glanced through it. "Got himself into trouble,