brickish of old Cress, giving us his study, isn't it, you chaps?"

"Rather!" said Georgie. "I think we might almost leave him out
something."

"I don't particularly want this _egg_," said Coote, who had already
accomplished two and was gently tapping a third, "if you think he'd like
that."

"How would it be to ask him in? Would you mind, father?"

"Not at all," said Mr Richardson, really relieved at the prospect of a
fifth appetite to help off the banquet.

So Dick went in search of his senior, and found him in Freckleton's
study. He felt constrained to invite both seniors to join their party,
and, somewhat to his alarm, they both accepted gladly.

Dick need not have been alarmed, though, for both the provisions and the
company held out wonderfully.

Mr Richardson was delighted with his boy's seniors, and they were no
less delighted with him. The whole story of Tom White's boat was
rehearsed again, as were also the other stories of the term, finishing
up with the eventful assembly of the afternoon.

"It wasn't a pleasant affair at all," said Cresswell, "but thunderstorms
do clear the air sometimes, and I think Templeton understands itself
better now."

"Of course we shall have Pledge still," said Freckleton, "but, as long
as fellows know what he is, he's not dangerous. It's when he gets hold
of young greenhorns like Heathcote and Coote he does mischief."

"He never got hold of me," said Coote.

"I was an ass to let him make a cad of me," said Heathcote. "I had
warning, you know; the Ghost wrote to me before I'd been here a
fortnight."

"What Ghost?" asked Mr Richardson.

Cresswell laughed.

"Nobody knows," said he, "though some of us guess."

"Who? Was it you?" asked Dick. "I got a letter too, you know."

"No; it wasn't I."

"Then, by Jove! it must have been Freckleton," exclaimed Dick,
interpreting the guilty look on the Hermit's face. "Was it, I say?"

"'_Dominat qui in se dominatur_'!" said the Hermit in a sepulchral tone.
"Yes, my boy; but keep it mum. I shan't waste my Latin over you again
in a hurry."

"Your letter really made me sit up," said Dick, gravely.

"Well, I expect," said Cresswell, "if Templeton goes on as she's doing
now, the poor Ghost will be hard up for a job. Mansfield is the right
man in the right place, and he's more right than ever now."

"That he is," said Freckleton, warmly. "I can tell you fellows that, in
spite of his iron hand, he's one of the humbles