"I'm very sorry," he began; "yes, it was--I didn't mean, I'm sure."

"What did you do it for, if you didn't mean, you young muff?--why don't
you go off to bed?"

"Because I don't know where to go, and Tom Drift--"

"Do you know Tom Drift?"

"Yes--that is, I met his mother," stammered Charlie, becoming more and
more embarrassed.

Both the big boys burst out laughing. "What a treat for his mother!"
said one. "I suppose she told you Tom was a real nice boy?"

"Yes."

"I thought so; so he is, isn't he, Joe?" and both boys laughed again.

"And she gave you a kiss to take to him?"

"No," said Charlie, blushing scarlet; "she did give me a kiss, but not
for him."

It was a hard effort for the poor boy to come out with this admission,
but candour compelled it.

"Oh, she gave you one for yourself, did she?" and again they laughed.
"What a dear old noodle she must be!"

"She was very kind to me," said Charlie, not liking to hear his friend
made fun of.

Just then a master came by.

"What are you three boys doing here?" he asked.

"Please, sir, this is a new boy," replied he who had been called Joe,
"and he doesn't know where to go."

"Hum!" said the master, "I thought Mrs Packer would have seen after
that. Let me see. You had better take him to your dormitory to-night,
Halliday; there's a vacant bed there. Bring him to the doctor's room
after breakfast to-morrow," and he passed on.

"Here's a treat!" exclaimed Joe, with a not ill-natured grin. "This
comes of stopping and talking to young scarecrows. Come along,
youngster; think yourself lucky you've been handed over to me. I wear
patent leather boots, and they don't need as much blacking as some of
the fellows'."

Charlie was at a loss to understand what the material of Master
Halliday's boots had to do with his own alleged good fortune in falling
into the hands of such a guardian; but he said nothing, and, reassured
by the good-humoured face of his conductor, followed him cheerfully from
the chapel.

"Hullo, Joe! got a donkey at last?" cried some one, as the two wended
their way up the stairs leading to the dormitories.

"Looks like it," was Joe's reply.

It was not very long before Charlie learned that the four-footed beast
thus vaguely referred to was a polite term which the big boys at
Randlebury used to designate their fags.

"Come in here," said his conductor, turning in at a small door.

Charlie found himself inside a small apartment