orgiving fit and
make up to him, and talk about the old lady and his watch, and all that,
he'd be out of his wits with joy? and then if you asked him to come for
a day's fishing on Saturday, we could meet you somewhere on the road,
and then he'd have to come whether he liked or not; and won't we
astonish him!"

Tom mused a little.

"It's not a bad idea," said he presently, "if it would only work. But I
can't make up to the young puppy as you think. Ten to one I should stop
short in the middle and kick him."

"That would spoil all the fun. Try it on, any way, it'll be a nice
little excitement to have young Innocent with us. And now, Tom, where
are blacks and reds; I'm just in the humour for a rubber, aren't you?"

The host produced from a locked desk a dirty and much-worn pack of
cards, and the party sat down to play.

They played for penny points, and as Gus and Margetson were partners, it
is hardly necessary to say that Drift and his ill-looking friend lost
every game.

Before this amiable and congenial quartet separated, Gus had referred
again to the scheme of getting Charlie to Gurley races, and got Drift to
promise he would secure his victim next day.

Next day, accordingly, as Charlie was in the midst of a desperate game
of fives with his friend Jim, a small boy came to him and said that Tom
Drift wanted him.

"What for?" demanded Charlie, who, since his talk with the elder
Halliday, had felt somewhat "shy" about Tom.

"I don't know," said the boy.

"Your turn, Charlie," called out Jim from the end of the court.

Charlie took his turn while he was revolving on his answer to this
mysterious summons.

"What does that child want?" inquired Jim, with all the loftiness of a
second-form boy speaking of a first.

"He says Tom Drift wants me."

"Whew!" whistled Jim, who of course knew the whole mystery of the affair
between his chum and Tom; "tell him to go to Jericho! Look out for
yourself!"

And so saying, he took his turn with the ball.

"That wouldn't do," said Charlie; "I don't want to rile him."

"_I'd_ like to have a chance," retorted the implacable Jim. "Well,
then, tell him you can't come. Here, young un, tell Tom Drift Charlie
can't come. Do you hear? Cut your sticks!"

But Charlie called the messenger back. "I _could_, go if I wanted, Jim.
Better tell him I'd rather not come. Say that, youngster--I'd rather
not."

So off the youngster ran, and Charlie and Jim finished their g