dare say it was an accident, but you two will have to be a great deal
quieter up here, or I shall have to interfere."

"We really couldn't help it, Mark--I mean Rails--I mean Mr Railsford,"
said Arthur, in an injured tone. "There's Dig will get into no end of a
row, as it is. He was writing out that imposition for you, and now he's
hurt his arm through helping me--brick that he is! I suppose you won't
mind if I finish the lines for him?"

Arthur was staking high, and would have been sadly disconcerted had his
kinsman taken him at his word.

"Is your arm really hurt, Oakshott?" inquired the master.

"Oh no; not much," said Digby, wincing dramatically, and putting on an
air of determined defiance to an inward agony. "I dare say I can
manage, after a rest. We had taken some of the books out, so I only had
the bookcase and three shelf-loads of books on the top of me! That
wasn't so much!"

"How much have you written?" demanded the master.

"Two pages, please, sir."

"This time I will let that do."

"Thanks, awfully!" broke in Arthur; "you're a brick! Dig'll never do it
again, will you, Dig?"

"I could do it, you know, if you really wanted," said Dig, feeling up
and down his wounded limb.

"That will do!" said Mark, who had already begun to have a suspicion
that he had been "done." "Clear up this mess, and don't let me hear any
more noise overhead."

When he had gone, the friends embraced in a gust of jubilation.

"No end of a notion of yours!" said Dig. "That leaves the lines for the
doctor and the others for Ainger. He'll keep. We'll have him in to tea
and dose him with marmalade, and square him up. But, there, I must do
the doctor's lines, or I shall catch it!"

And so, despite his wounded arm, he set to work, aided by his friend,
and worked off about half the penalty, by which time his arm and elbow
were very sore indeed. Dimsdale, who came in later, was bribed with an
invitation to jam breakfast in the morning, to help with the remainder,
and the same inducement prevailed upon Tilbury. So that by a fine co-
operative effort Dig stood clear with the doctor before night was over,
and considered himself entitled to a little rest, which he forthwith
proceeded to take.

The breakfast-party next morning was a great success on the whole. It
was a little marred by the fact that whereas covers were laid for four,
just fourteen guests turned up. This was partly Arthur's fault, for,
having salli