It wouldn't be quite fair, sir, because I'm afraid I thought so, too."

The constable gave his leg a slap.

"You--you dare to think that," cried Distin.

"Hush! hush! hush!" said the rector, firmly. "Macey, my dear boy, what
cause have you for thinking such a thing."

"Distin hates him."

The constable drew a long breath, and he had hard work to preserve his
equanimity in good official style.

"My dear Macey," cried the rector reproachfully, "surely you are not
going, on account of a few boyish disagreements, to think that your
fellow-pupil would make such a murderous attack. Come, you don't surely
believe that?"

"No," said Macey slowly, "I don't now: I can't believe that he would be
such a wretch."

"There!" cried the rector, triumphantly. "Now, constable, there is no
more to say, except that I beg you will not expose me and mine to
painful trouble, and yourself to ridicule by going on with this baseless
charge."

"Can't say, sir, I'm sure," replied the constable. "I want to do my
dooty, and I want to show respect to you, Mr Syme, sir, as has always
been a good, kind gentleman to me; but we're taught as no friendly or
personal feelings is to stand in the way when we want to catch
criminals. So, with all doo respect to you, I can't make no promises."

"I shall not ask you, my man," replied the rector; "what I do say is go
home and think it over. In a day or two I hope and trust that my pupil
Vane Lee will be well enough to enlighten us as to who were his
assailants."

"I hope so, sir. But suppose he dies?"

"Heaven forbid! my man. There, do as I say: go back and think over this
meeting seriously, and believe me I shall be very glad to see you come
to me to-morrow and say frankly, from man to man--I have been in the
wrong. Don't shrink from doing so. It is an honour to anyone to avow
that he was under a misapprehension."

"Thankye, sir, and good-night," said the constable, as the rector rang
for Joseph to show him out; and the next minute all sat listening to his
departing steps on the gravel, followed by the _click click click click_
of the swing-gate.

The rector looked round as if he were about to speak, but he altered his
mind, and the three pupils left the room, Distin going up to his chamber
without a word, while attracted by the darkness Gilmore and Macey
strolled out through the open porch into the grounds.

"Suppose he dies?" said Macey, almost unconsciously repeating the
constable