n.

These astute boys had been not quite beside the mark in their surmise
that the master had ulterior reasons in inviting Arthur to his study.
He did want to "jaw" him; but not in the manner they had anticipated.

After going through the Cicero, and marking the portions requiring
special getting up for the examination, Railsford put down his pen and
sat back in his chair.

"Arthur," said he, "there is something I should like to ask you."

"It's coming, I knew it," said Arthur to himself.

"Do you remember, Arthur, last term, you and I had some talk one evening
about what happened to Mr Bickers, and the mysterious way in which that
secret had been kept?"

Arthur fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Oh, yes," said he. "That's all done with now, though, isn't it?"

"I think not. Do you remember my asking you if you knew anything about
it, which I did not?"

"Oh yes--I didn't. I know nothing more about it than you do."

"How do you know that? What if I knew nothing about it?"

Arthur looked puzzled.

"I want you to be frank with me. It is a matter of great importance to
us all to get this affair cleared up--more to me than you guess. All I
ask you is, do you know who did it?"

"Why, yes," said Arthur.

"How did you discover? Did anyone tell you?"

"No; I found out."

"Do you consider that you have no right to tell me the name?"

Arthur stared at him, and once more thought to himself what a
wonderfully clever fellow this brother-in-law of his was.

"It doesn't much matter if I tell _you_," said he, "only I mean to keep
it dark from anybody else."

"Who was it then?" inquired the master, with beating heart. "Tell me."

"Why, you know!"

"I wish to hear the name from you, Arthur," repeated the master.

"All right! Mark Railsford, Esquire, M.A. That's the name, isn't it?"

Railsford started back in his chair as if he had been shot, and stared
at the boy.

"What! what do you say?--I?"

Arthur had never seen acting like it.

"All right, I tell you, it's safe with me, I'll keep it as dark as
ditch-water."

"Arthur, you're either attempting a very poor joke, or you are making a
most extraordinary mistake. Do you really mean to say that you believe
it was I who attacked Mr Bickers?"

Arthur nodded knowingly.

"And that you have believed it ever since the middle of last term?"

"Yes--I say, weren't you the only one in it, then?" asked the boy, who
could not any longer mistake the master's bewil