in knowing that at least a shred of his good old name remained.

Poor shred indeed! but better than nothing.

Every one treated him as usual--except Wren, who cut him contemptuously.
The Sixth, ever since the exposure at the football match last term, had
lost any respect they ever had for their comrade, and many had wondered
how it was he was still allowed to remain a monitor. Every one now
supposed he had taken "the better part of valour" in resigning, and, as
it mattered very little to any one what he did, and still less what he
thought, they witnessed his deposition from the post of honour with
profound indifference.

Poor Loman! Some righteous reader will be shocked at my pitying such a
foolish, miserable failure of a fellow as this Edward Loman; and yet he
was to be pitied, wasn't he? He hadn't been naturally a vicious boy, or
a cowardly boy, or a stupid boy, but he had become all three; and as he
sat and brooded over his hard luck, as he called it, that morning, his
mind was filled with mingled misery and fear and malice towards every
one and everything, and he felt well-nigh desperate.

His interview with Cripps came off that afternoon. The landlord of the
Cockchafer, as the reader may have gathered, had changed his tone pretty
considerably the last few days, and Loman found it out now.

"Well?" said he, gloomily, as the boy entered.

"Well?" said Loman, not knowing how to begin.

"I suppose you've got my money?" said Cripps.

"No, Cripps, I haven't," said the boy.

"All right," said Cripps; "that's quite enough for me;" and, to Loman's
astonishment and terror, he walked away without another word, and left
the unhappy boy to stay or go as he pleased.

Loman could not go, leaving things thus. He must see Cripps again, if
it was only to know the worst. So he stayed in the bar for the
landlord's return. Cripps took no notice of him, but went on with his
ordinary pursuits, smiling to himself in a way which perfectly terrified
his victim. Loman had never seen Cripps like this before.

"Cripps," he said, after half an hour's waiting--"Cripps, I want to
speak to you."

"You may want," was the surly reply. "I've done with you, young
gentleman."

"Oh, Cripps, don't talk like that! I do mean to pay you, every
farthing, but--"

"Yes, you're very good at meaning, you are," said the other. "Anyhow,
it don't much matter to me _now_."

"What _do_ you mean, Cripps? Oh, do give me a little more time!