o his
place to take up a book, yawning loudly as he did so. Then he opened
the book slowly.

"Look!" cried Macey, with a mock aspect of serious interest.

"Eh? What at?" said Vane.

"The book," cried Macey; and then he yawned tremendously. "Oh, dear!
I've got it now."

Vane stared.

"Don't you see? You, being a scientific chap, ought to have noticed it
directly. Example of the contagious nature of a yawn."

Oddly enough, Gilmore yawned slightly just at the moment, and, putting
his hand to his mouth, said to himself, "Oh, dear me!"

"There!" cried Macey, triumphantly, "that theory's safe. Distie comes
in, sits down, yawns; then the book yawns, I yawn, Gilmore yawns. You
might, could, would, or should yawn, only you don't, and--"

"Good-morning, gentlemen. I'm a bit late, I fear. Had a little walk
after breakfast, and ran against Doctor Lee, who took me in to see his
greenhouse. He tells me you are going to heat it by hot-water. Why,
Vane, you are quite a genius."

Macey reached out a leg to kick Vane under the table, but it was
Distin's shin which received the toe of the lad's boot, just as Gilmore
moved suddenly.

Distin uttered a sharp ejaculation, and looked fiercely across at
Gilmore.

"What did you do that for?" he cried.

"What?"

"Kick me under the table."

"I did not."

"Yes, you--"

"Gentlemen, gentlemen," cried the rector reprovingly, "this is not a
small boarding-school, and you are not school-boys. I was speaking."

"I beg your pardon, sir," cried Gilmore.

Distin was silent, and Macey, who was scarlet in the face; glanced
across at Vane, and seemed as if he were going to choke with suppressed
laughter, while Vane fidgeted about in his seat.

The rector frowned, coughed, changed his position, smiled, and went on,
going back a little to pick up his words where he had left off.

"Quite a genius, Vane--yes, I repeat it, quite a genius."

"Oh, no, sir; it will be easy enough."

"After once doing, Vane," said the rector, "but the first invention--the
contriving--is, I beg to say, hard. However, I am intensely gratified
to see that you are putting your little--little--little--what shall I
call them?"

"Dodges, sir," suggested Macey, deferentially.

"No, Mr Macey, that is too commonplace--too low a term for the purpose,
and we will, if you please, say schemes."

"Yes, sir," said Macey, seriously--"schemes."

"Schemes to so useful a purpose," continued the rector; "and