n't the same kind as we saw in old Dawson's oast-house.
They screech. Get out, you old mouser! I want to sleep."

The owl kept on with its hooting; but Mercer had what he wanted, for he
dropped asleep directly, and I must have followed his example
immediately after, for the next thing I remember is feeling something
warm on my face, which produced an intense desire to sneeze--so it
seemed, till I opened my eyes, to find that the blind had been drawn,
and Mercer was tickling my nose with the end of a piece of top string
twisted up fine.

"Be quiet. Don't!" I cried angrily, as I sat up. "Hallo! where are
the other fellows?"

"Dressed and gone down ever so long ago. Didn't you hear the bell?"

"No; I've been very sound asleep," I said, beginning to dress hurriedly.
"Shall we be late? Oh!"

"What's the matter?"

"I'd forgotten," I said; for the whole trouble of the previous evening
had now come back with a rush.

"Good job, too," said Mercer. "That's why I didn't wake you. Wish I
was asleep now, and could forget all about it. I say, it ain't nice, is
it?"

I shook my head mournfully.

"It's always the way," continued my companion, "one never does have a
bit of fun without being upset after it somehow. We went fishing, and
nearly got drowned; I bought the ferret, and we lost it; we went in for
lessons in boxing, and I never grumbled much, but oh, how sore and stiff
and bruised I've often been afterwards. And now, when we go for just an
hour to try the ferret, we get caught like this. There's no real fun in
life without trouble afterwards."

"One always feels so before breakfast," I said, as dolefully as Mercer
now, and I hurriedly finished dressing. Then we went to the window, and
stood looking out, and thinking how beautiful everything appeared in the
morning sunshine.

"I say, Tom," I said at last, "don't you wish you were down-stairs
finishing your lessons, ready for after breakfast?"

"Ah, that I do!" he cried; "and I never felt so before."

"That's through being locked up like in prison," I said philosophically.

"Yes, it's horrid. I say, the old Doctor won't expel us, will he?"

"I hope not," I said.

"But he will old Magglin. You see if he don't."

"Well, I'm not sorry for him," I said; "he has behaved like a sneak."

"Yes; trying to put it all on to us."

We relapsed into silence for some time. We had opened the window, and
were looking out at the mists floating away over the