s hold of Valentine, and springing to the gas-jet
turned out the light.

"_Cave_!" he whispered: "it's old Thorpe!"

It was impossible to continue the struggle in the darkness, and the
tumult ceased.

"He's gone into Copland's classroom," continued Teal. "Quick! let's
hook it before he comes back!"

A rush was made for the door.

"All right, Fenleigh; don't you think you're going to be friends with
us any more."

"I've no wish to be," answered Jack. "If you want to finish this out
any time, I shall be quite ready for you!"

"It was jolly good of you to stick up for me like that," said
Valentine, as the two cousins hurried off towards the schoolroom.

"I should have been a mean cad if I hadn't," returned the other,
laughing. "You don't think I've forgotten that affair of the magpie's
nest, do you? I don't care a straw for any of those fellows, and it
they want to fight, I'll take them on any day; but they'll have to lick
me first before they talk about thrashing you."

In course of time the dispute between the two extremes of the Upper
Fourth died a natural death. Mr. Rowlands did not increase the length
of the "prep." lessons, and peace was restored. Garston and his two
companions, however, did not forgive Jack for his interference with
their plans. Regarding him, perhaps, as rather a hard nut to crack,
they made no attempt to renew the combat, but evidently decided to cut
him off from any future enjoyment of their society or friendship.

Jack, on his part, did not seem to take this loss very much to heart;
it only induced him to become more chummy with Valentine, and, judging
from the comparatively few times that his name was down for punishment,
this change of associates seemed to be decidedly to his advantage. As
the autumn advanced, and wet days became more frequent, the two boys
took to doing fretwork in their spare time; and having purchased a
rather large and complicated design for a kind of bracket bookcase,
they conceived the happy notion of making it as a Christmas present for
Queen Mab, and so worked away together, taking an immense amount of
interest in their task.

Before the term ended a rather curious incident happened, insignificant
in itself, but worthy of being recorded as bearing on more important
events to be dwelt on at a later period in our story.

It wanted about three weeks to the holidays, and Jack and Valentine
were returning from the ironmonger's, where they had been pur