fence, that when
one or two fellows spoke to him about it, and asked him if it was true
that Railsford and his sister were going to be married, he prevaricated
and hedged till he got hopelessly out of his depth.

"Married!" he would reply, scornfully, "fiddlesticks! I tell you
there's nothing in it--all jaw! Who told you they were going to be
married?"

From utterances like these an impression got abroad in some quarters
that Railsford wanted to marry "Chuckey," but "Chuckey" wouldn't have
him. So the last end of the story was worse than the first.

Railsford, however, did not hear this latest version of his own romance;
and, indeed, had plenty of other things just, at this time to occupy his
attention.

Much to his own satisfaction, he received a polite note from Smedley,
the captain of the school, to inform him that he had been elected a
vice-president of the Athletic Union, and expressing a hope that he
would favour the treasurer with the annual subscription now due, and
attend a committee on Saturday evening in Mr Roe's house to arrange
about the spring sports.

Both requests he gladly complied with. Previous to the meeting he had
been present as umpire at a football-match in the meadows between the
first twelve against the next twenty. It was a finely-contested battle,
and his opinion of Grandcourt rose as he stood and looked on.

It had not occurred to him till he was about to start that his two
principal prefects would of course be members of the committee in whose
deliberations he was to take part. But he considered he might safely
leave the control of the house during his short absence to the keeping
of Stafford and Felgate, who, though neither of them the kind of boy to
inspire much confidence, had at least the title to be considered equal
to the task. After all, it was only for an hour. Possibly no one would
know of his absence, and on this the first occasion of his being present
at a meeting in whose objects he had so much interest, he felt that his
duty to the school had as much claim on him as his duty to his house.
So he ran the risk, and went quietly out at the appointed time, in the
comfortable assurance that his house was absorbed in preparation, and
would never miss him.

The meeting came up to his expectations. He was the only master
present, and as such was voted to the chair. He made a little speech he
had got ready in case of need, lauding up athletics to the skies, and
confessi