an quietly slipped
out of Saint Dominic's, and walked rapidly and nervously down to the
Cockchafer in Maltby.

"What _shall_ I say to Cripps?" was the wild question he kept asking
himself as he went along; and the answer had not come by the time he
found himself standing within that worthy's respectable premises.

Mr Cripps was in his usual good humour.

"Why, it's Mr Loman! so it is!" he exclaimed, in a rapture. "Now who
_would_ have thought of seeing _you_ here?"

Loman was perplexed.

"Why, you told me to come this afternoon," said he.

"Did I? Ah, I dare say! Never mind. Very kind of a young gentleman
like you to come and see the likes of me. What'll you take?"

Loman did not know what to make of this at all.

"I came to see you about that--that horse you told me to bet against,"
he said.

"I remember. What's his name? Sir Patrick, wasn't it? My friend told
me that he'd had the best of that. What was it? Ten bob?"

This affected ignorance of the whole matter in hand was utterly
bewildering to Loman, who had fully expected that, instead of having to
explain himself, he would have the matter pretty plainly explained to
him by his sportive acquaintance.

"No, ten pounds. That was what I was to pay if the horse won; and,
Cripps, I can't pay it, or the twenty pounds either, to you."

Cripps whistled.

"That's a go and no mistake!" he said. "Afraid it won't do, mister."

"You told me Sir Patrick was sure not to win," said Loman.

"Ah, there was several of us took in over that there horse," coolly said
Mr Cripps. "I lost a shilling myself over him. Nice to be you, flush
of cash, and able to pay straight down."

"I can't pay," said Loman.

"Ah, but the governor can, I'll wager," insinuated Cripps.

"He would never do it! It's no use asking him," said Loman.

Cripps whistled again.

"That's awkward. And my friend wants his money, too, and so do I."

"I really can't pay," said Loman. "I say, Cripps, let us off that
twenty pounds. I really didn't mean about that rod."

Mr Cripps fired up in righteous indignation.

"Ah, I dare say, mister. You'll come and snivel now, will you? But you
were ready enough to cheat a honest man when you saw a chance. No, I'll
have my twenty or else there'll be a rumpus. Make no mistake of that!"

The bare idea of a "rumpus" cowed Loman at once. Anything but that.

"Come, now," said Cripps, encouragingly, "I'll wager you can raise the
wind somewh