sure to Railsford, and confide her perplexities to him.

Railsford perused the "dear boy's" florid effusion with considerable
interest, particularly, I grieve to say, certain portions of it, which
if Daisy had been as wise as she was affectionate, she would have kept
to herself. When people put notes into circulation, it's not the fault
of those into whose hands they come if they discover in them beauties
unsuspected by the person for whose benefit they were issued. Railsford
saw a great deal more in Arthur's letter than Daisy had even suspected.
A certain passage, which had seemed mere mysterious jargon to her, had a
pretty plain meaning for him, especially after the interview last Sunday
with Mr Bickers.

"It's a jolly good job that row about Bickers came on when it did. ...
Nobody wants to find the chap out now, so your particular is all serene
up to now, and I don't mean to drip and spoil his game."

What could this mean except that Arthur, somehow or other, knew a secret
respecting the Bickers affair which he was keeping to himself,
presumably in the interests of Railsford? Could this mysterious hint
have any connection with the false rumour which had reached Bickers and
magnified itself in his mind to such an uncomfortable extent? Railsford
resolved to delight the heart of his young relative by a friendly visit,
and make a reconnaissance of the position. He had a very good pretext
in the anxious solicitude expressed in Daisy's letter for the health and
appetite of her love-tossed brother. He would make it his business to
inquire how the sufferer did.

Waiting, therefore, until a preternatural stillness in the room above
assured him that Dig was out of the way, the Master of the Shell went
up-stairs and ushered himself into Arthur's study.

"Hard at work, I see," said Railsford cheerily. "How are you getting
on?"

"All serene, thanks," replied Arthur. "That is, not very well."

"Have you stuck fast in your translations? Let me look."

"Oh no. I'm not doing my exercise," said Arthur, in alarm. "I'm only
looking up some words. Do you want to see Dig? He's gone to Wake's
room."

"No, I came to see you. I heard you'd been out of sorts. Are you all
right now? Was it the sports knocked you up?"

"No--that is, yes, they did a bit, I think," said Arthur. It was the
sports which had done it, though not in the way "Marky" fancied.

"Well, we mustn't have you laid up, must we? We want you for the