b done."

"I want you two; and if you don't let me in at once, I'll force my way
in."

"Say what you want there; we can hear," said Arthur.

Felgate made a violent effort to effect an entrance, but without avail.
The stout iron bedsteads held their own, and the wedge inserted under
the door prevented it from opening farther than to allow the invader's
head to peep in.

"I shall report you for this," said Felgate.

"Ha! ha! ha! you're not a monitor, my boy. Go and do it. We'll report
you for invading our privacy. Say what you want there, can't you?"

"You know what I want well enough," said Felgate, forced at last to
recognise that entrance was hopeless.

"What's the good of coming to tell us, then?" responded Dig.

"What business had you to go to my room the other evening?"

"Went to return your call," said Arthur. "Sorry we weren't at home when
you called on us, and thought we'd do the polite and look you up. That
makes us square, doesn't it?"

"Do you know I could get you expelled for coming and taking things out
of my room?" said Felgate.

"Ha! ha! Do it! look sharp. We'll all go home together."

"I want the things you took away; do you hear? One of the masters has
sent for them; they are to be given up immediately."

"Are they? Tell one of the masters, if he wants them he'd better go up
the chimney after them."

"I shan't waste my time here any more. You'll be sorry for it, both of
you, when I catch you."

"All right, wait till then. I say, you haven't seen a lump of turf
about, have you? There's one missing."

"Ha! ha!" chimed in Dig. "How did you like the writing of the letter?
Jolly hand our chaps write in the Shell, don't they?"

Felgate had not remained to hear these last two genial inquiries, but
had returned, storming and raving, to his room.

The only game left him now was revenge. He would be very much surprised
if that did not come off a little better than the last!

Arthur and Dig, meanwhile, were by no means in the elated spirits which
their successful resistance to the siege might have warranted. Not that
they were affected by the bully's retreating threat; they had heard that
sort of thing from one or two fellows in their day, and their bones were
still unbroken.

No; what afflicted them, and plunged them into a sea of wrath and
misery, was the report circulated that morning and confirmed by reliable
testimony, that Marky was going to leave Grandcourt.

At firs