h when once entered on--a lie had become an easy thing to utter.

"How did you manage that?" exclaimed Callonby. "Mind you get it right
by to-morrow, or we _shall_ be in a fix."

This little piece of flattery pleased Loman, who said, "I'm afraid I
shan't be able to play."

"What! Who's that won't be able to play?" said Raleigh, coming up in
unwonted excitement.

"Loman; he's sprained his wrist."

"Have you shown it to Dr Splints?" said Raleigh.

"No," said Loman, beginning to feel uncomfortable. "It's hardly bad
enough for that."

"Then it's hardly bad enough to prevent your playing," said Raleigh,
drily.

Loman did not like this. He and Raleigh never got on well together, and
it was evident the captain was more angry than sympathetic now.

"Whatever shall we do for bowlers?" said some one.

"I'm awfully sorry," said Loman, wishing he was anywhere but where he
was; "but how am I to help?"

"Whatever induced you to sprain your wrist?" said Wren. "You might just
as well have put it off till Monday."

"Just fancy how foolish we shall look if those young beggars beat us, as
they are almost sure to do," said Winter.

Loman was quickly losing his temper, for all this was, or seemed to be,
addressed pointedly to him.

"What's the use of talking like that?" he retorted. "You ass, you! as
if I could help."

"Shouldn't wonder if you could help," replied Winter.

"Perhaps," suggested some one, "it was the _Dominican_ put him out of
joint. It certainly did give him a rap over the knuckles."

"What do you mean?" exclaimed Loman, angrily, and half drawing his
supposed sprained hand out of the sling.

"Shut up, you fellows," interposed Raleigh, authoritatively. "Baynes
will play in the eleven to-morrow instead of Loman, so there's an end of
the matter."

Loman was sorely mortified. He had expected his defection would create
quite a sensation, and that his class-fellows would be inconsolable at
his accident. Instead of that, he had only contrived to quarrel with
nearly all of them, alienating their sympathy; and in the end he was to
be quietly superseded by Baynes, and the match was to go on as if he had
never been heard of at Saint Dominic's.

"Never mind; I'm bound to go and see Cripps. Besides," said he to
himself, "they'll miss me to-morrow, whatever they say to-day."

Next day, just when the great match was beginning, and the entire school
was hanging breathless on the issue of every ball, Lom