case. It
was a public duty--painful, of course, but not to be shirked. It pained
them very much to bring trouble on any one, particularly an old
shipmate; but they owed it to society to see he got his deserts.

They were, of course, wholly unaware of Mr Richardson's special
interest in the matter. Otherwise, they might have been even more
virtuous and high-principled than they were. They looked upon him as a
benevolent individual, bent on getting the half-witted vagabond out of
trouble, and, as such, they knew quite enough of fishing to see that he
was in their net.

Their own solicitor, too, knew something about this sort of fishing, and
the unfortunate father spent a very unhappy morning floundering about in
the net these gentlemen provided for him--extremely doubtful whether,
after all, he would not be obliged publicly to incriminate his son, in
order to solve the difficulty.

However, by dint of great exertion, he contrived to get the case
adjourned for three days more. The prosecutors were, of course, shocked
to see the course of the law delayed for even this length of time. It
meant expense to them, as well as inconvenience. Of course Mr
Richardson had to act up to this broad hint, and promising, further, not
to make any attempt to bail their prisoner, he obtained their reluctant
consent to a postponement till Wednesday, greatly to the disgust, among
other persons, of Duffield and Raggles, who, mindful of their pleasant
morning last Saturday, had come down with another five-pennyworth of
chocolate creams, to watch the case again.

"Beastly soak it was," said Raggles that afternoon, to Dick, who, acting
on parental orders, had abstained with the "Firm" from visiting the
Court. "They say there's some idiot come all the way from London to
stop the case. I'd like to kick him. What business has he to come and
spoil our fun?"

"Look here!" said Dick, with a sudden warmth which quite took away the
breath of Master Raggles. "Shut up, and hold your row, unless you want
to be chucked out of the Quad."

"What on earth is the row with you?" asked the astounded Raggles.

"Never you mind. Hook it!" retorted Dick.

Raggles departed, not quite sure whether Dick had not had too much
"swipes" for dinner, or whether his run after the Harriers yesterday had
not been too much for his wits.

Dick felt rather blue that afternoon as he watched the train which
carried his father steam out of Templeton station.

He