y
school type of defence.

"Jolly brave, aren't you? I'd like to see any one of you do anything
that might get you into trouble. I don't mind betting there's not one of
you that would dare to come out with me to the fair next Monday."

There was an awkward pause. The challenge was unconventional; and the
Public School boy is not brought up to expect surprises. The only thing
to do was to pass it off with a joke.

Lovelace stepped into the breach.

"Do you think any of us would go anywhere with a swine like you who does
not wash? Dirty hog!"

"Of course you would not; you are afraid."

At that point Gordon's hatred of taking the second place, which had
before led him into difficulties, once again asserted itself. "Damn it
all," he thought, "I am not going to be beaten by Rudd!"

"Do you say we are all funks if we don't go?"

"Yes!"

"All right then, damn you, I will go with you, just to show you that you
are not the only person in this rotten school who's fool enough to risk
being bunked."

Rudd was taken aback. He had made the challenge out of bravado. He had
regretted it instantly. In the same spirit Gordon had accepted the
challenge; he also wished he had not the moment afterwards. But both saw
that they would have to go through with it now.

"Good man," said Rudd, not to be outdone. "I wanted someone to go with
me; rather lonely these little excursions without company."

He spoke with the air of one who spent every other night giving
dinner-parties at the Eversham Tap.

"Look here, now," broke in Mansell, "don't make bloody fools of
yourselves. You will only get the sack if you are caught, and you
probably will get caught; you are sure to do something silly. For God's
sake, don't go. It's not worth it. Really, not!"

"Oh, shut up; don't panic," was Gordon's scornful answer; "we are going
to have a fine time, aren't we, Rudd?"

"Splendid," said Rudd, who wanted to laugh; the whole situation was
fraught with such a perfectly impossible irony.

"Oh, do have some sense, man." Lovelace was impatient with him. "What is
the use of rushing about at midnight in slouch hats with a lot of silly,
shrieking girls?"

"You can't understand, you live in the country. I am a Londoner. You
want the true Cockney spirit that goes rolling drunk on Hampstead Heath
on Easter Monday."

"Well, thank God, I do want it, then," said Lovelace.

Rumour flies round a house quickly. In hall several people came up and
asked