as he crossed the threshold of his enemy's citadel.
Suppose Mr Bickers should return and find him there--what a pretty
situation!

"Up-stairs, sir, this way," said Mrs Phillips, leading him up to the
prefects' cubicles. She opened the door at the end, and ushered him
into the house-captain's study.

On his low narrow camp bed lay Branscombe, flushed, with eyes closed,
tossing and moaning, and now and then talking to himself, Railsford
started as his eyes fell on him.

"He's ill!" he whispered to Mrs Phillips.

"That's what I thought," observed the sagacious dame.

Railsford knew little enough about medicine, and had never been ill
himself in his life. But as he lifted the hot hand which lay on the
coverlet, and marked the dry parched lips, and listened to the laboured
breathing, he knew that he was in the presence of a grave illness of
some kind.

"Go and fetch Dr Clarke at once, Mrs Phillips," said he, "and tell the
cabman on your way down not to wait."

Branscombe opened his eyes and clutched greedily at the tumbler
Railsford offered. But his throat was too sore to allow him to drain
it, and he gave it back with a moan. Then he dozed off fitfully, and
recommenced his tossing.

"Where are they all?" he asked, again opening his eyes.

He scarcely seemed to take in who Railsford was.

"They went by the ten o'clock train," said Railsford.

"Why didn't they call me? Where's Clipstone?"

"You weren't very well. You had better lie quiet a little," said
Railsford.

The invalid made no attempt to get up, but lay back on the pillow and
moaned.

"Open the window," said he, "the room's so hot."

Railsford made believe to obey him, and waited anxiously for the doctor.
It seemed as if he would never arrive.

It was a strange position for the Master of the Shell, here at the
bedside of the captain of his rival's house, the only occupant with him
of the great deserted school. He had reckoned on spending a very
different day. He was to have seen Daisy once more that afternoon, and
the foolish young couple had been actually counting the minutes till the
happy meeting came round. By this time he would have been in the train
whizzing towards her, with all the troubles of the term behind him, and
all the solaces of the vacation ahead. To-morrow, moreover, was the day
of the University Boat-Race, and he, an old "Blue," had in his pocket at
that moment a ticket for the steamer which was to follow the race. He