e critical
moment came, he yielded to the tempter and stole the paper.

"And you can fancy how punished I was when, after all, the Doctor missed
the paper and altered the questions, Greenfield. I was so taken aback
that I didn't even answer as well as I could. And then I lost the paper
I had stolen--couldn't find it anywhere, and for weeks I was in constant
terror lest it should turn up. Then I saw the fellows were all
suspecting you to be the thief, and you know how meanly I took advantage
of that to hide my own guilt. Oh, Greenfield, what a wretch, what a
miserable wretch I have been!"

"Poor fellow!" said Oliver, with true sympathy. "But, I say, do let's
be going back, it's getting late, and looks as if it might rain."

"I _must_ tell you the rest, Greenfield, please. You're the only fellow
I can tell it to. Somehow I think if I'd had a friend like you all the
last year I shouldn't have gone wrong as I have. How I used to envy you
and Wraysford, always together, and telling one another your troubles!
Well, of course, after the Nightingale exam, things were worse than
ever. I'd given Cripps a bill, you know, a promise to pay in September.
I don't know anything about bills, but he made me sign it. Of course I
couldn't pay when it came due, and had to make all sorts of excuses and
tell all sorts of lies to get him to give me more time; as if I was more
likely to pay later on than then! But, somehow, if I could only get the
thing off my mind for the present, I felt that was all I cared about.
He gave in at last, and I was able to pay it off bit by bit. But I was
in constant terror all that term of his coming up to Saint Dominic's.
You know he did come once, at the football match against Landfield, and
I thought I was done for."

Here Loman paused a moment, and Oliver, seeing that he was determined to
tell his story to the end, waited patiently till he continued.

"Then there was that Waterston exam. I fancied I might get that if I
worked. Ass that I was to think, after all my wasted time and sin, I
had any chance against you or Wraysford! I tried to work, but soon gave
it up, and went on going down to the Cockchafer instead, to keep Cripps
in good humour, till I was quite a regular there. You know what a
fearful hash I made of the exam. I could answer nothing. That very day
Cripps had sent up to threaten to tell the Doctor everything unless I
paid what I still owed. I had paid off all the bill but