or many reasons, had kept his afternoon's
plan very dark. He knew only too well that his beloved chums would not
hear of an afternoon's work, and would head him off either to footer or
a run round the Bender. Therefore, immediately after dinner, he had made
an unostentatious exit, and reached the laboratory in safety.

"Where _is_ Grimmy?" said Sharpe.

"Dunno," said Wilson.

"Did he know of our six-a-side against Merishall's lot?"

"Rather! Said he hoped we'd win."

"_We!_ Why, is he backing out, then?"

"Well, we've waited for him half an hour, and there's no sign of him
yet--look's like it."

"What is up with him, I wonder?" said Poulett.

"Seemed rather mysterious this morning--rather stand-offish to my idea.
Perhaps, though, he's only guzzling buns or swilling coffee somewhere.
Let's see."

The quintette thereupon spread themselves out, but every shop was drawn
blank.

"Rum!" said Rogers. "Where can the ass be?"

"If we knew, Solomon, would we try to find out?" said Sharpe.

"I say, you fellows--I've got an idea about Grimmy. Didn't Lancaster
give him a leg-up for his chemistry the other day? Permission to footle
in the lab. on half-holidays, and all the rest of it? Grim was no end
cocky over that."

"Grimmy waste a 'halfer' bottle-washing! Rot! That isn't his form,
Wilson."

"If," said Poulett, impressively, "he _has_ sunk so low, we must give
him an 'elpin' 'and, pore feller!"

"Rather. If Lancaster has put the cover over old Grimmy we must get him
out somehow. Let's adjourn to see."

The honourable five forthwith moved over to the laboratory, and Grim
received his beloved cronies with hot blushes and a rather nervous
manner.

"I say, you chaps, what do you want?"

"What did we want?" said Bourne, as though he'd forgotten it. "What was
it, Rogers?"

"A fellow, formerly Grimmy, not a nasty bottle-washer," said Rogers,
more in sorrow than in anger.

"But yesterday and Grimmy was an average back, and now he's holding up
some filthy brew to the sunlight to see how muddy it is. Oh, my great
aunt!" chimed in Wilson.

"How are the mighty fallen!" gasped Sharpe.

"Look here, you fellows--" began Grim, with still more vivid blushes
mantling his noble face.

"'Ear, 'ear! speech! speech! withdraw! apologize!"

"I'm not ashamed of being here and doing a little chemistry for my own
amusement, so there; and you fellows had better cut before Lancaster
comes and runs you all in."

"That is all