nd that expelling a scholar from Garside is a very serious
matter. It is a grave stigma placed on him at the commencement of his
career--a stigma which clings to him when he goes from school into the
sterner battle of life. I'm bound to impress this upon you, Parfitt, so
that you may understand the gravity of the step you wish me to take."

"I understand, sir. We all understand."

"And you decline to do what Moncrief has done--withdraw from the
petition?"

"Yes, sir. We can't stand Percival any longer."

"Hear! hear!" from Newall.

Suddenly, to the astonishment of the Form, the master opened the desk
before him, and drew from it a book.

"You know this book?" he demanded.

Know it? They knew it but too well. It was the dreaded Black Book.

CHAPTER L

FOUND OUT

Why had the master produced the Black Book?

What was it to do with the question whether Percival should or should
not be expelled?

"You are wondering why I produce the Black Book," said the master
slowly, as though reading their thoughts. "I will explain--we have never
yet discovered who tore out the leaves from this book. It occurred to me
that before taking the step of expelling Percival from the school, it
would be as well to make one more effort to find out who is the culprit.

"A few weeks ago, I received an anonymous letter suggesting that
Percival should be questioned as to what he was doing on the night that
part of the Black Book, and other documents, disappeared from my desk.
As a rule, I take no heed of anonymous communications. The testimony of
any one who is ashamed to put his name to a letter is, as a rule,
worthless. But I was keenly interested in trying to discover who the
culprit was who opened my desk, and I thought it just possible that if I
could only find out the writer of this anonymous letter, it might lead
to other discoveries which would throw light upon the theft of my
notes."

The boys listened intently. What did it mean? Was yet another and more
serious charge to be made against Percival?

"The letter was in a disguised hand, like most anonymous letters," the
master proceeded; "but a master becomes a bit of an expert in
handwriting, so, with the help of Mr. Travers here, the master of your
Form, I was not long in finding out who wrote the anonymous letter. It
was written by Parfitt."

The accusation was made slowly, deliberately, as by one who makes sure
of his facts before speaking. It fell as a bomb in