answer for some time; then he said:

"I am sure I don't know, Ned; I will think it over till tomorrow. You
have not said anything about it to any one else?"

"Not to a soul. I hesitated whether I should tell you or father, but he
wouldn't understand how boys think of these things so well as you do; so
I thought as you were head of the school it was best you should know."

"I wish you hadn't told me," Ripon grumbled. "I am sure I don't know
what's best to do;" and he turned away and began to pace the yard
moodily up and down.

"The only thing I have decided," he said to Ned the next day, "is to ask
Mother Brown myself how much Mather paid her. We may as well settle that
question first."

As this was Wednesday and the cake woman was coming that evening there
was not long to wait. Ripon chose a time when most of the boys had made
their purchases and the old woman was alone.

"Don't you give too much tick to any of the fellows, Mother Brown," he
began. "You know it isn't always easy to get money that's owing."

"I should think not, Master Ripon; I wish they would always pay money
down as you do. There's Master Mather, he been owing me money ever since
last half. He borrowed ten shillings of me and promised solemn he would
pay at the end of the week, and he has only paid five shillings yet, a
month ago, and that was only 'cause I told him I would tell the
master about him; there's that five shillings, and seven shillings and
eightpence for cakes and things; but I have been giving him a piece of
my mind this afternoon; and if I don't get that other five shillings by
Saturday, sure enough I will speak to t' maister about it. No one can
say as Mother Brown is hard on boys, and I am always ready to wait
reasonable; but I can't abear lies, and when I lent that ten shillings I
expected it was going to be paid punctual."

"Then he knows you are going to speak to Mr. Porson on Saturday if he
doesn't pay up another five shillings?"

"He knows it," the old woman said, nodding. "When I says a thing I mean
it. So he had best pay up."

When Ripon met Ned next day he said: "I talked to her last night. Mather
paid her five shillings, and she has told him if he doesn't pay her the
other five by Saturday she will speak to Porson; so I think the best
plan is to wait till then and see what comes of it. She will tell the
whole story and Porson will learn it without our interference, and can
think what he likes about it."

Relieved