.

"It must have been a remarkable sight," admitted Mr. Travers, the head
of the search-party, "but I don't think Mr. Weevil is likely to accept
it as an excuse for your long absence from the school. Besides, you had
no business to take with you a junior boy."

Harry was about to explain that he had followed of his own accord, but a
glance from Paul kept him silent. When they reached the school, they
found Mr. Weevil awaiting them in the hall. He seemed to know that
something unusual had happened.

"Come to my room, Percival," he said.

Percival followed him to his room, just as he had done on that day when
Hibbert died.

"Something has happened. What is it?" he demanded, as he closed the
door.

There was no need for secrecy longer, so Paul told the master
everything--how he had discovered Hibbert's parentage; how he had
discovered the cave, and all the events that had happened in the train
of these discoveries up to the moment of Zuker's death.

"Zuker dead!" exclaimed the master, when Paul came to this part of his
story. "You are sure of it?"

"As certain as I can be of anything, sir."

Mr. Weevil paced up and down the room with his arms behind him. It was
very clear to Paul to observe that he was very much agitated.

"Dead! dead!" he kept repeating; then suddenly stopped, and confronting
Paul astonished him by abruptly demanding: "And what do you think of
me--eh? What do you think of your master--eh? You think him a precious
scoundrel--eh? You think that he ought to be with Zuker in the
river--eh?"

CHAPTER XLIX

THE PETITION--WHAT BEFELL IT

The master put the questions--the questions which formed so strong an
indictment against himself--with grim solemnity. Paul scarcely knew how
to answer him, so was silent.

"Well?" persisted Mr. Weevil.

"I must say that at one time I was suspicious of you, sir. I thought you
were in league with traitors against your country--against England."

"When did your opinion alter?"

"When I heard you in the cave appealing to Zuker to give up his scheme;
when I heard you telling him that the hand of a Higher than man was in
it. Then I remembered that however stern you had been to others, you had
been kind and tender to Hibbert, and it slowly dawned upon me that it
was for poor Hibbert's sake you kept in with Zuker, that for his sake
you were playing a part you did not care for."

"Thank you. I'm glad you've done me justice in your own mind, Percival,"
an