down the hall, revolving
in his mind how he would steal down and unlock the door as soon as the
matron had taken herself off.

"Here, stop--come back here! Now answer me--yes or no--was any other boy
with you?" as Joel stood before her again.

Joel's stubby black curls dropped so that she couldn't see his face. As
there was no reply forthcoming, Mrs. Fox took him by the arm. "You
needn't go to your room, Joel," she said sharply. "You may go to
Coventry."

"Oh Mrs. Fox," Joel burst out, "don't--don't send me there."

"A boy who cannot answer me, is fit only for Coventry," said Mrs. Fox
with great dignity, despite the nightcap. "Wait here, Joel. I will get
my candle, and light you down." She stepped off to a corner of the hall,
where she had set the candlestick on a table, when startled by the noise
outside. "Now we will go."

It was impossible that all this confusion should not awake some of the
boys in the hall; and by this time there was much turning on pillows,
and leaning on elbows, and many scuttlings out of bed to listen at doors
opened a crack, so that nearly every one of the occupants, on that
particular hall soon knew that "old Fox" had Joel Pepper in her
clutches, and that he was being led off somewhere.

And at last Joel let it out himself. "Oh Mrs. Fox--dear Mrs. Fox,
_don't_ make me go to Coventry," he roared. He clutched her wrapper, a
big, flowered affair that she wore on such nocturnal rambles, and held
it fast. "I'll be just as good," he implored.

"Coventry is the place for you, Joel Pepper," said Mrs. Fox grimly; "so
we will start."

Meanwhile David, holding his breath till he saw, in the dim light that
always streamed out from the dormitory hall where the gas was left
turned down at night, that Joel was safely drawn in to shelter,
frantically rushed around to the big door, in the wild hope that somehow
admittance would be gained. "Joe will come by and by," he said to
himself, sinking down on the steps.

"We're done for," said Tom's voice off in the distance.

"Oh Tom, are you there?" cried Davie, straining his eyes to catch a
glimpse.

"Hush!" Tom poked his head out from a clump of shrubbery. "Don't you
dare to breathe. I tell you, Dave, our only hope is in staying here till
morning."

"Oh dear me!" exclaimed David in dismay.

"Oh dear me!" echoed Tom in derision. It was impossible for him to stop
talking, he was so keyed up. "It's paradise, I'm sure, compared to being
in old Fox's