notice of
Wildney's pretended sleep, he said quietly, "Come to me before breakfast
to-morrow, Wildney," and went down stairs.

Eric came in soon after, and found the little fellow vainly attempting
to appear indifferent as he related to his admiring auditors the night's
adventure; being evidently rather proud of the "Eric and I," which he
introduced every now and then into his story.

"Has he twigged you?"

"Yes."

"And me?"

"I don't know; we shall see to-morrow."

"I hope not," said Eric; "I'm sorry for you, Charlie."

"Can't be cured, must be endured," said Wildney.

"Well, good-night! and don't lose heart."

Eric went back to Duncan in the study, and they finished the other
bottle of beer between them, though without much enjoyment, because they
were full of surmises as to the extent of the discovery, and the nature
of the punishment.

Eric went in to tell Montagu of their escapade.

He listened very coldly, and said, "Well, Eric, it would serve you right
to be caught. What business have you to be going out at night at the
invitation of contemptible small fry, like this little Wildney?"

"I beg you won't speak of any friend of mine in those terms," said Eric,
drawing up haughtily.

"I hope you don't call a bad little boy like Wildney, who'd be no credit
to any one, _your_ friend, Eric?"

"Yes, I do though. He's one of the pluckiest, finest, most promising
fellows in the lower-school."

"How I begin to hate that word plucky," said Montagu; "it's made the
excuse here for everything that's wrong, base, and unmanly. It seems to
me it's infinitely more `plucky' just now to do your duty and not be
ashamed of it."

"You've certainly required _that_ kind of pluck to bear you up lately,
Monty," said Owen, looking up from his books.

"Pluck!" said Montagu scornfully; "you seem to me to think it consists
in lowering yourself down to the level of that odious Brigson, and
joining hand and glove with the dregs of the school."

"Dregs of the school! Upon my word, you're cool, to speak of any of my
associates in that way," said Eric, now thoroughly angry.

"Associates!" retorted Montagu hotly; "pretty associates! How do you
expect anything good to go on, when fellows high in the school like you
have such dealings with the refined honourable Brigson, and the
exemplary intellectual Wildney?"

"You're a couple of confounded muffs!" shouted Eric, banging the door
and flinging into his own study again wit