what happened to him last term. He even
wanted to bring the matter up in the last session of masters in your
absence; and when we stopped it he promised to return to it at the
next."

"Oh, Bickers!" said Railsford scornfully. "I am really tired of him,
Grover. It's the greatest pity he wasn't allowed to say what he had to
say at that meeting. He will never be happy till he has it off his
mind; and it surely wouldn't be necessary for me to take any notice of
his rhodomontades."

"I'm glad you are so little concerned about them. I was afraid they
might be worrying you."

Railsford smiled.

"I've plenty in my own house to do that, thanks. No, all I ask is to
keep the peace with Bickers, and have nothing to do with him. He may
then say anything he likes. Well, I suppose I had better go over to the
doctor's now and report myself."

The doctor received Railsford coldly, and required a full account of the
strange adventures of the preceding night. Railsford felt a little hurt
at his evident want of sympathy in his story, and was beginning to look
out for a chance of escaping, when Doctor Ponsford said--

"I wanted to see you last night about Felgate, your prefect. I had a
very unsatisfactory interview with him. He appears to lack principle,
and, as you said, not to recognise his responsibility in the house. He
tried to shift the blame for this gambling business wholly upon Mills--
who, by the way, I flogged--and could not be brought to see that there
was anything wrong in his conduct or unbecoming in a senior boy. I
think it may be well to remove him next term, either into my house or
Mr Roe's; meanwhile he understands that he does not retain his
prefecture in yours."

"I am thankful for such an arrangement," said Railsford.

"That, however, is only part of what I had to say to you. Before he
left he brought a most extraordinary charge against you which I should
certainly have disregarded, had it not coincided strangely with a
similar charge made elsewhere. I only repeat it to you in order to give
you an opportunity of repudiating it. It had relation to the outrage
which was committed on Mr Bickers last term, for which your house still
lies in disgrace. He stated that you knew more about that mystery than
anyone else at Grandcourt, and, indeed, gave me the impression, from the
language he used, that he actually considers you yourself were the
perpetrator of the outrage. That, of course, is the mere