se and freedom, said,
singling out Felgate for the experiment--

"Let me see, you are Ainger, are you not?"

It was a most unfortunate shot; for nothing could have been less
complimentary to the jealous and quick-tempered captain of the house
than to be mistaken for his self-conceited and unstable inferior, with
whom, he was in the habit of congratulating himself, he had little or
nothing in common.

"No, sir," said Felgate, omitting, however, to confess his own name, or
point out the lawful owner of the name of Ainger.

The master tried to smile at his own dilemma, and had the presence of
mind not to plunge further into the quicksands.

"Which of you is Ainger?" he inquired.

"I am, sir," replied the captain haughtily.

"Thank you," said Mark, and could have eaten the word and his tongue
into the bargain the moment he had spoken. This was blunder number
three, and the worst yet! For so anxious was he to clear himself of the
reproach of abasing himself before his head boys, that his next
inquiries were made brusquely and snappishly.

"And Barnworth?"

"I am, sir."

"And Stafford?"

"I am, sir."

"And Felgate?"

"I am, sir."

That was all over. The master smiled. The boys looked grave.

"Won't you sit down?" said the former, drawing his own chair up to the
hearth and poking the fire.

Ainger and Felgate dropped into two seats, and Stafford, after a short
excursion to a distant corner, deposited himself on another.
Barnworth--there being no more chairs in the room--sat as gracefully as
he could on the corner of the table.

"I thought it would be well," began Railsford, still dallying with the
poker--"won't you bring your chair in nearer, Stafford?"

Stafford manoeuvred his chair in between Ainger and Felgate.

"I thought it would not be a bad thing--haven't you a chair, Barnworth?
dear me! I'll get one out of the bedroom!"

And in his flurry he went off, poker in hand, to the cubicle.

"What a day we're having!" murmured Barnworth.

Stafford giggled just as Railsford re-entered. It was awkward, and gave
the new master a very unfavourable impression of the most harmless boy
in his house.

"Now," said he, beginning on a new tack, "I am anxious to hear from you
something about the state of the house. You're my police, you know," he
added with a friendly smile.

Stafford was the only one who smiled in response, and then ensued a dead
silence.

"What do you think, Ainger? Do things se