aster himself would accuse me of
falsehood; and he would have the same answer for you if you backed me
up."

Stanley did not at once answer. He could now see clearly enough the
false position in which his friend had been placed in coming to share
with him in his punishment. But he could only see the chivalry of it. He
did not see that the step, chivalrous though it might be, had been a
wrong step, and was bringing in its train the consequences of
wrong-doing.

"Mr. Weevil questioned the school this morning before you returned,"
Paul went on. "'Had any one left his dormitory during the night?' he
asked. Perhaps I ought to have spoken then; but I let the chance go."

"And Parfitt did not speak?"

"No; but I can see plainly enough now that it wasn't out of any kindness
to me. He kept quiet so that he should hold the secret over me like a
whip. He gave me the first taste of the thong just now, and--and--it
cuts into a fellow."

Stanley could see the pain in Paul's face, as though he could feel the
thong descending upon his shoulders at that moment. He, too, could feel
something of the same pain. His head fell to his breast. He blamed
himself for having been the cause of all this misery. But suddenly he
looked up again, and his face brightened.

"The game's ours!" he cried.

"What do you mean?"

"You twitted me just now about forgetting things, but we've both
forgotten something--Weevil and Zuker. You've forgotten what you saw in
the master's room when you came to me last night."

"Supposing I had; how does that help?"

"Cannot you see?" went on Stanley, quite excited. "Let's put our heads
together for a moment and work it out. Supposing you go to Weevil and
tell him straight out that you weren't in your dorm last night, but with
me. He contradicts you point-blank. 'You could not have been with
Moncrief, because I looked in at his dormitory at midnight and saw that
no one else was there.' Then you bring forward your next piece, and cry,
'I think I can prove to you, sir, that I was in Dormitory X last night.'
'Your proof, quick!' 'My proof is that as I was passing by your room I
happened to glance in at the window, and saw you with another
gentleman--ahem!--looking over some papers.' Check! You have the master
on toast, Paul. The case for the defence will be clear. Do you follow
me?"

Paul did not answer. He saw that this was one solution of the problem;
but he was not certain that it was the best.

"Well, wh