duty to tell the proprietors of
the _Banner_."

"What possible good could that do him?" I asked.

"Why, he might as well think it his duty to tell Mary."

Jack said nothing, and we walked on, very uneasy and depressed.

When we arrived at our lodgings we found Billy, whose recovery was now
almost complete, sitting up in the bed with a jubilant face.

"You're a-done it, governor," cried he, as we entered. "You are a-done
it."

"Done what?" said Jack.

"Why, that there sam."

"What about it?" we cried, eagerly.

"Oh, that there flashy bloke, Flanikin, 'e comes up, and says 'e, `Jack
Smith in?' says he--meanin' you, governor. `Ain't no concern of yourn,'
says I--not 'olding with them animals as comes to see yer. `Yes it is,'
says 'e, a blowin' with the run he'd 'ad. `Tell 'im the moment 'e comes
in that 'e's fust in the sam,' says he."

"Hurrah!" I cried, forgetting everything in this good news. "Old man,
how splendid!"

Jack too for a moment relaxed his grave face as he answered my greeting.

"I can hardly believe it," said he.

"Oh, there ain't no error, so I tells you," cried Billy, "the cove 'ad
been up to the shop, he says, and copied it down. He was nigh off 'is
'ead, was that there Flanikin, and 'e's a-comin' in to see you 'imself,
he says, afore eight o'clock."

And before eight Flanagan turned up and confirmed the glorious news with
a printed list, in which sure enough "Smith" stood out distinctly in the
first place.

"You know, I thought it might be another Smith," said Flanagan,
laughing; "there are one or two of the same name in the world, I know.
But there's not another in the list, so it's all right. I say, wouldn't
old Henniker be proud of you now, my boy--eh, Fred? She'd let you
sneeze without pulling you up for it, I do believe."

A letter by the evening post to Jack brought the official confirmation
of the news from the examiners, and announced further that the
distinction carried with it a scholarship worth L50 a year for three
years.

In the midst of our jubilation, Mr Smith came in, and that evening, but
for the morning's cloud which still hung over us, our happiness would
have been complete.

The next day Jack took an early opportunity of seeking an interview with
the partners, and making a clean breast to them of his birth and
position. He gave me an account of the interview afterwards, and said
that while Mr Merrett, as usual, took everything kindly and even
sympa