d from the masters' dinner, meditating a few
final touches to his packing, when Sir Digby Oakshott, Baronet, waited
upon him.

The baronet was evidently agitated; and more than that, his face was
one-sided, and one of his eyes glowed with all the colours of the
rainbow.

"Why, Oakshott," said the master, "what is the matter? You have been
fighting."

"That's not half of it," said Dig excitedly. "I say, Marky--I mean Mr
Railsford; please Herapath wants to see you. He's in a bad way up-
stairs. It's that cad Felgate. He's bashed us. He was in an awful wax
about the dodge we played him over that sack, you know, and tried to pay
us out the other day; but we kept him out. But he's been waiting his
chance ever since; and when I was out of the study this evening, he came
in, and gave it hot to Herapath. When I got back, Arthur was about
done, and then Felgate turned on me. If I'd been bigger, I could have
got a stroke or two in at his face; but I couldn't do it. I barked his
shins though, and gave him one on the neck with my left. So he didn't
get it all his own way. But, I say, can't you come up and see old
Herapath? You haven't got any raw beef-steaks about, have you? He'll
want a couple to set him right."

Railsford hurried up-stairs.

Arthur was lying on his sofa, blinking up at the ceiling with his one
open eye--an eloquent testimony both to his friend's veracity and to the
activity of his assailant.

"You see," he began, almost before Railsford reached the patient, so
anxious was he to excuse his battered appearance, "he caught me on the
hop, Marky, when I never expected him, and gave me no time to square up
to him. I could have made a better fight of it if he'd given me time
between the rounds; but he didn't."

Railsford made no remark on the unequal conflict, but did what he could
to assist the sufferer, and reduce his countenance to its normal
dimensions.

Arthur was far less concerned at his wounds than at the moral injury
which he had suffered in being so completely punished in the encounter.
He feared Railsford would entertain a lower opinion of him in
consequence.

"If I'd have only known he was coming, I could have made it hotter for
him," he said; "only he got my head in chancery early, and though I
lashed out all I could, he took it out of me. Marky, do you mind
feeling if my ribs are all right? I sort of fancied one of 'em had
gone."

His ribs, however, were all there; and badly