ve my arms. My _feet_ were also tied
together, and in this condition I was dragged into a cupboard under the
stairs and there left for the night. My impression is that two or three
strong persons were engaged in the outrage, although the pinioning was
performed by only one. I was released in the morning by my colleague in
whose house I had been attacked, who, with his senior boys, untied my
hands, and expressed himself as greatly astonished and indignant at what
had befallen me. I fully believed at the time these protestations on my
colleague's part were sincere."

Here Mr Bickers was beginning to get aggressive, and the backs of one
or two of Railsford's friends, particularly monsieur's back, went up.

"That same morning, gentlemen, the doctor came and challenged the house
to produce the offender or offenders. Every boy in the house was called
over and questioned separately; said each one denied not only that he
had done it himself, but that he had any knowledge of who had. Every
member of the house, except the master of the house, was thus
questioned. The master was not challenged.

"The house was disgraced by the doctor; and from that time to this the
secret has been carefully kept. But capital has been made out of the
supposed misfortune of the house to set on foot several ambitious
schemes which depended for their success on the continued isolation of
the house from the rest of the school.

"The master of the house was a prime mover in these schemes, and in
consequence decidedly interested in preserving the new state of affairs.

"Now, gentlemen, you may ask why I make all this preamble--"

"Hear, hear!" from monsieur, and "Order, order!" from the chairman.

"I do so because I feel I have no right to take for granted that you all
know what is nevertheless a notorious fact in Grandcourt.

"Now, gentlemen, it appears that my colleague's acquiescence in the
disgrace of his house was not shared by some of his boys; certainly not
by one--whose name I am not at liberty to mention--but whom I can speak
of honourably, as being actuated by disinterested motives in securing
justice to myself--which is a matter of small moment--and in removing a
slur from the good name of Grandcourt.

"This boy took the trouble to make some inquiries shortly after the
event, and succeeded in getting together some evidence, which, when I
produce it, I think will convince you that little doubt remains as to
the identity of the