in
his drawer.

Felgate had, as the reader may have judged, come to the conclusion that
it was time to play his trump card against his enemy. Railsford's
reporting of him to the doctor had been, to mix metaphors a little, the
last straw which breaks the patient camel's back.

He had had a very warm and uncomfortable quarter of an hour with the
head-master, and, as we know, had defended himself on the plea that
Railsford, being a malefactor himself, was not competent to judge of the
conduct of his boys. The doctor had severely silenced this covert
accusation, although taking note of it sufficiently to suggest the very
awkward string of questions which he put the following morning to the
unlucky Master of the Shell.

Felgate, however, had an impression that his statement to the doctor had
missed fire; and being determined not wholly to cast his trump card
away, he had walked across and sought an interview with Mr Bickers.

That estimable gentleman was considerably impressed by discovering,
first of all, that this boy was the author of the mysterious letter last
term, and secondly, that he possessed such satisfactory evidence of the
strange story.

He accepted Felgate's statement that his sole motive was the credit of
Grandcourt and the relief of his own conscience, without too
particularly inquiring into its value, and undertook not to mention his
informer's name in any use he might have to make of the information.

To that end he suggested it would be better for him to have the
"evidence" to produce when required. Felgate promised to send it over
to him next day, if that would suit. Mr Bickers said it would suit
admirably. There was to be a master's meeting in the evening, when no
doubt the question would come up, and if Felgate preferred not to appear
himself, he might send Mr Bickers the things there with a letter, which
the master promised to read without disclosing the name of the writer.

This seemed a satisfactory plan, and Felgate hoped that in return for
what he was doing Mr Bickers would intercede with the doctor to restore
him to his prefecture. Which Mr Bickers said he would do, and the
interview ended.

Felgate had not much difficulty in possessing himself of the "articles."
Arthur had himself exhibited them to him last term, and he remembered
the corner of the locker in which they had lain. Probably Arthur had
never looked at them since, and would be very unlikely to miss them now.
Even if h