.

But he put a bold face on it, and marched across to the doctor's.

"Perhaps I shall only make it worse for Railsford," said he to himself.
"Pony will think it precious rum of us to have let two terms go by
without finding the secret out, and then, when it suits us to find it,
getting hold of it in half an hour. So it is, precious rum! And if
Railsford has known the names all along and kept them quiet, it's not
likely to make things better for him that we have discovered them on our
own account. Anyhow, I'm bound to report a thing like this at once, and
it's barely possible it may turn something up for Railsford."

As he crossed the quadrangle a cab drove in, and set down a tall,
elderly gentleman, who, after looking about him, advanced towards the
prefect, and said,--

"Can you direct me to the head-master's house?"

"Yes, sir," said Ainger, "I'm going there myself. It's this way."

It wasn't often strangers made so early a call at Grandcourt.

"A fine old building, this," said the gentleman; "how many houses are
there?"

"Eight," said Ainger.

"And whose do you belong to?"

"Railsford's. That's his, behind us."

"And which is Mr Bickers?"

"This must be the father of one of Bickers' fellows," thought Ainger.
"That one next to ours," he replied.

The gentleman looked up at the house in an interested way, and then
relapsed into silence and walked gravely with his guide to the doctor's.

The doctor's waiting-room was not infrequently tenanted by more than one
caller on business at that hour of the morning. For between nine and
ten he was at home to masters and prefects and ill-conducted boys; and
not a few of the latter knew by painful experience that a good deal of
serious business was often crowded into that short space of time.

This morning, however, there was only one occupant when Ainger and the
gentleman were ushered in. That occupant was Railsford.

"Why, Ainger," said the master, scarcely noticing the stranger, "I did
not expect you here. What are you come for?"

"To report a boy."

"Which one, and for what? Is it a bad case?"

"It's Munger, sir, for being one of the party who assaulted Bickers last
term."

Railsford started. And it was an odd thing that the gentleman, although
his back was turned, did so too.

"How did you discover that?" said the master.

Ainger briefly explained, and the gentleman, evidently disturbed in his
mind, walked to the window.

When the confe