, ha!" laughed Oakshott, not having the least idea what his friend
was going to say, but anxious to impress upon his guests that the joke
was to be a good one.

"What is it?" asked Wignet, who never believed in anyone else's
capacities for story-telling.

"Why," said Arthur, getting up a boisterous giggle, "you know Railsford,
the new master?"

"Of course. What about him?"

"Well--keep it dark, you know. Shut up, Dig, and don't make me laugh, I
say--there's such a grand joke about him."

"Out with it," said the guests, who were beginning to think again about
the herrings.

"Well, this fellow--I call him Marky, you know--Mark's engaged to my
sister, and--"

"Ha ha ha!" chimed in Dig.

"And--he calls her `_Chuckey_,' I heard him. Oh, my wig!"

This last exclamation was caused by his looking up and catching sight of
Railsford standing at the door.

The Master of the Shell had in fact called up in a friendly way to ask
how Sir Digby Oakshott's arm was after the accident of the previous
night.

CHAPTER SIX.

WHEN THE CAT'S AWAY THE MICE WILL PLAY.

If Railsford had entertained any lurking hope that his private affairs
were sacred in the hands of his prospective kinsman, the little incident
recorded at the close of the last chapter did away with the last remnant
of any such delusion. He did not say anything about it. He was
punctilious to a degree in anything which affected his honour; and as
what he had overheard on the occasion in question had been part of a
private conversation not intended for his ears, he felt himself unable
to take any notice of it. Still, it was impossible for him to regard
the faithless Arthur with quite as brotherly an eye as before; and the
manner in which that young gentleman avoided him for the next few days,
and hung out signals of distress in his presence, showed pretty plainly
that these silent reproaches were not being thrown away.

Of course Arthur did every imaginable thing to make matters worse in the
house, by way of proving his contrition. He besought Wake not to let
the story go about, greatly to the amusement of that young humourist,
who had already heard it from half a dozen sources since the beginning
of the term. He threatened Dimsdale with all sorts of penalties if he
spread the secret any further. Dimsdale, who had long ago informed
everyone of his acquaintance, cheerfully promised it should go no
further. So anxious was Arthur to make up for his of