John.

"But how?"

"Jonathan went to town instead of me," said Desmond. "We thought he was
with Warde--he wasn't. This morning, early, I found out that he hadn't
slept in his bed. I saw him come back, and I saw Dumber waiting for him.
When Dumber came out of Warde's room, he told me that Jonathan had been
up to town, and was going to be--sacked."

He blurted out the rest of the story, to which Scaife listened
attentively. When Desmond finished, there was a pause.

"You're devilish clever," said Scaife to John.

"I shall pay up the pony," said Desmond.

"No, you won't," said Scaife. "As for the money, I never cared a hang
about that. I'm glad--and you ought to know it--that you've won the bet.
All the same, Verney isn't entitled to all the glory that you give him."

"He is, he is--and more, too."

Scaife laughed. John felt rather uncomfortable. Always Scaife exhibited
his amazing resource at unexpected moments.

"Never mind," Scaife continued, "I won't burst the pretty bubble. And I
admit, remember, Verney's cleverness."

He was turning to go, but Desmond clutched his sleeve. When he spoke his
fair face was scarlet.

"You sneer at the wrong man and at the wrong time," he said angrily,
"and you talk as though I was a fool. Well, I am a fool, perhaps, and I
blow bubbles. Prick this one, if you can. I challenge you to do it."

Scaife shrugged his shoulders. "It's so obvious," he said coolly, "that
your kind friend ran no risks other than a sprained ankle or a cold."

"What do you mean?"

"He was certain that you would come forward. He forced your hand. There
was never the smallest chance of his being sacked, and he knew it."

"Yes," said John, calmly, "I knew it."

"Just so," said Scaife. He went out whistling.

Desmond had time to whisper to John before the fags called them to
breakfast in John's room--

"I say, Jonathan, I'm glad you knew that I wouldn't fail you. As the
Demon says, you are clever; you are a sight cleverer than he is."

John shook his head. "I'm slow," he said. "As a matter of fact, the
thought that you would come to the rescue never occurred to me till I
was biking back from town."

"Anyway, you saved me from being sacked, and as long as I live I----"

"Come on to breakfast," said John.

FOOTNOTES:

[38] The Philathletic Club deals primarily with all matters which
concern Harrow games; it is also a social club. Distinguished athletes,
monitors, and so forth, are eligible f