n't come in."

Jack was too wary to make any reply. He glanced round rapidly,
endeavouring to concoct some plan for gaining an entrance. Stooping
down, he discovered that the key was turned so that it remained exactly
in the centre of the keyhole, anything pushed against it would send it
out on the other side. "I believe that bathroom key fits this door,"
he muttered, and tiptoed a little further along the passage. In
another moment he was back again, and thrusting the key suddenly into
the lock he turned it, and forced open the door.

The room was a small chamber set apart for music practice, the only
furniture it contained being a piano, a chair, some fiddle-cases, and
music-stands, while on the mantelpiece, in the place of a clock, was a
metronome that had something wrong with the works. Jack, however, had
no eye for these details; his attention was centred in a group of boys
who were struggling under the single gas-jet, which was flaring away in
a manner which showed it had evidently been turned up in a hurry.

"Here, leave that chap alone!" he exclaimed, plunging into the centre
of the scrimmage. "Let him alone, I say!"

"Hallo! it's Fenleigh J.," cried Garston. "You've just come in time to
help us to teach this cousin of yours a lesson on the subject of not
overworking himself."

"Leave him alone!" repeated Jack angrily, giving Rosher a push which
sent him staggering back into the fireplace, where he knocked over the
metronome, which fell with a crash on the fender.

"Don't be a fool, Fenleigh," cried Teal. "We're going to teach this
chap a lesson. If you don't want to help, you can clear out."

"I shall do nothing of the sort," returned the other. "You let him
alone."

Both parties were too much in earnest to waste their breath in talking,
and the next moment Garston and Rosher sprang on the intruder and
endeavoured to force him out of the room. Valentine, being unable to
free himself from the muscular grasp of Teal, could render no
assistance; but his cousin, whose blood was fairly up, struggled
furiously with his two assailants. Round the room they went, like a
circular storm, wrecking everything they came in contact with;
music-stands went over with an appalling clatter, while the back of the
solitary chair gave way with a crash as the three combatants fell
against it. Suddenly a sharp voice sounded down the passage,--

"Now then, there! What's all that noise about?"

Teal released hi