ster, "will you excuse me?"

"No need for you to come, Brady," interposed Mr. Anderson; "tell me
where he is, that's all."

Jack hesitated; then, putting his hand in his pocket, drew out a key.

"He's in the book-room, sir. And it's locked."

Now, as the book-room opened out of the school-room, in which Mr. West
was teaching, it was impossible that the door could be unlocked, and
Toppin released, without the fact becoming known to him. He looked up at
sound of the key, and the sight of the small, red-haired urchin, seated
disconsolately on a globe within, and swinging his short legs, evoked a
question.

"What has that lad been doing, Mr. Anderson? Did you lock him up?"

"No, sir; it was Brady."

"Indeed? And what business had he to take the law into his hands? What
were you locked up for, Trevelyan?"

Poor Toppin was feeling very sorry for himself, and distinctly bitter
against Jack. He had heard the sound of many interesting things
happening, and had a strong suspicion that he had been forgotten. Aware
that he had not merited such hard treatment, he now replied plaintively:

"Nuffing at all, sir!"

"Well, in any case, I have not yet given his training over to Brady,"
observed Mr. West dryly, and without further question Jack was sentenced
to twenty minutes' detention at twelve o'clock, "to see how he liked his
own treatment".

"Rough on you, Jack of Both Sides!" said Simmons, as he passed him on
his way into the open air. "Your policy's fine in theory, but I'm afraid
it won't pay. Jack of Both Sides, friend of neither, eh?"

Jack's reply was quite cheerful:

"Not so bad as that, thanks, Lucy. We're going to be friends all
together, the whole boiling of us, before we've done!"

"Think so?" said Hughes, and shrugged his shoulders. "Not much chance of
that yet, I'm afraid. I spoke to Hallett just now, and he wouldn't even
answer me."

Jack seemed out of luck's way this week, for the next morning he had an
accident with the ink, was fined sixpence for breaking one of the pots,
and ordered upstairs to change his bespattered garments.

Just outside his bedroom, in the passage, he came upon one of the
housemaids, in front of whom, on the ground, lay a pillow and a heavy
overcoat.

"Hullo, Hannah! Having a pillow-fight with an overcoat, for fault of a
live enemy, eh? I've caught you in the act! Now, I want you to do
something for me. I've been taking an ink shower-bath, you see, and I go
home to-day, and