," explained Dig, "as Railsford and Herapath are sort of
brother-in-laws, you know, we thought it was all right."

The reason did not appear very obvious; but the information was
interesting.

"Oh, that's it, is it?" asked the captain. "What relation is he to
you?"

"He's spoons on my sister Daisy."

The captain laughed.

"I hope she's like her brother," said he.

The two culprits laughed vociferously. It was worth anything to them to
get the captain in a good-humour.

"Well, if that's the case," said Ainger, "I shan't have anything to do
with you. You've no right on this floor; you know that. If he chooses
to let you be, he'll have to keep you in order. I don't pity him in the
room underneath."

"I say, do you think he could hear us easily--when we were playing?"

"Oh, no, not at all," said the captain, laughing.

"Really! I say, Ainger, perhaps we'd better have a study up-stairs,
after all."

"Thanks; not if I know it. You might pitch over my head instead of his.
I suppose, too, he's allowed you to set up that dog?"

"Yes; it's a present from Dig's mother. I say, he's not a bad-looking
beast, is he?"

"Who? Dig? Not so very," said the captain, quite relieved to be able
to wash his hands of this precious couple.

He departed, leaving the two worthies in a state of bewildered
jubilation.

"What a splendid lark!" exclaimed Arthur. "We shall be able to do just
what we like all the term. There! we're in luck. Mark thinks Ainger's
looking after us; and Ainger will think Mark's looking after us; and,
Diggy, my boy, nobody will look after us except Smiley--eh, old dog?"

Smiley, who had wonderfully recovered since an hour ago, here made a
playful run at the speaker's heels under the belief that the football
had recommenced; and the heart-rending yelps which Railsford heard in
the room below a few moments later were occasioned by an endeavour to
detach the playful pet's teeth from the trouser-ends of his owner's
friend.

The Master of the Shell retired to bed that night doubtful about his
boys, and doubtful about himself. He was excellent at shutting stable
doors after the abstraction of the horses, and could see a blunder
clearly after it had been committed. Still, hope sprang eternal in the
breast of Mark Railsford. He would return to the charge to-morrow, and
the next day, and the next. Meanwhile he would go to sleep.

The discussion in the captain's room had not been unanimous.

"