the middle stump
clean. His third came back into his hands. His fourth, the nastiest of
shooters, glided under the bat into the wicket. Three wickets in three
consecutive balls--something like a sensational over!

The match was over, and Weston had won by 21 runs.

There could be no doubt to whom the victory was due, and Crawley was
pounced upon, hoisted, and carried home in triumph amidst the most
enthusiastic cheering.

"All right!" he said, colouring and laughing as they put him down; "I am
glad we won, but that last ball was the most awful fluke I ever made in
my life. I lost my balance as I delivered it, and nearly came down. To
tell the truth, I feared it would be wide, and could hardly believe my
eyes when I saw the bails off."

One would have imagined that Saurin's evil genius was taking part in the
events of the day, and piling success upon the rival he hated in order
to exasperate him to madness. His state of mind, indeed, was little
short of that as he went sullenly to his tutor's house, with the sight
of Crawley, raised on his comrades' shoulders, in his eyes, their cheers
ringing in his ears, and the thoughts of Cain in his heart.

"I shall give up cricket," he said to Edwards next day; "it's a beastly
game."

"I don't care for it myself," replied his friend; "only, what is one to
do?"

"Lots of things; you don't know Slam's. I tell you what--I'll take you
there."

"Thank you; that will be very jolly; only don't you think if one were
caught, you know--eh?"

"We should get into a jolly row, no doubt; but there is no fear of being
caught. And, as you say, if one does not play cricket, what is one to
do?"

One thing which induced Saurin to relinquish the game which he had at
one time practised with some hope of success, was that he shrewdly
suspected that, after what occurred, he would no longer be retained in
the eleven. And he was right, for at the very next meeting of the
committee it was unanimously agreed that a fellow who failed so utterly
to keep his temper was of no use at all, even if he were a much better
player than Saurin; and this opinion was intimated to him without any
squeamishness in the choice of terms. Had Weston lost the match his
conduct on the occasion might have resulted in his being sent to
Coventry; but success is the parent of magnanimity, and, since his lack
of public spirit had not proved fatal, it was condoned. But it
certainly did not increase his populari