ould we want to sink your
boat for? What happened was this. Albert--you remember Albert?--followed
us up to the inn, and smashed our boat while we were having tea. When
we got out and found it sunk, we bagged the only other one we could
see. We hadn't a notion it was yours. We thought it belonged to some
fisherman chap."

"Then you didn't sink my boat?"

"Of course we didn't. What do you take us for?"

"Sorry," said Sheen. "I thought it was a queer thing for you to have
done. I'm glad it wasn't you. Good night."

"But look here," said Linton, "don't go. It must have landed you in a
frightful hole, didn't it?"

"A little. But it doesn't matter. Good night."

"But half a second, Sheen--"

Sheen had disappeared.

Linton sat on till lights were turned off, ruminating. He had a very
tender conscience where other members of the school were concerned,
though it was tougher as regarded masters; and he was full of remorse
at the thought of how nearly he had got Sheen into trouble by borrowing
his boat that afternoon. It seemed to him that it was his duty to make
it up to him in some way.

It was characteristic of Linton that the episode did not, in any way,
alter his attitude towards Sheen. Another boy in a similar position
might have become effusively friendly. Linton looked on the affair in a
calm, judicial spirit. He had done Sheen a bad turn, but that was no
reason why he should fling himself on his neck and swear eternal
friendship. His demeanour on the occasions when they came in contact
with each other remained the same. He did not speak to him, and he did
not seem to see him. But all the while he was remembering that somehow
or other he must do him a good turn of some sort, by way of levelling
things up again. When that good turn had been done, he might dismiss
him from his thoughts altogether.

Sheen, for his part, made no attempt to trade on the matter of the
boat. He seemed as little anxious to be friendly with Linton as Linton
was to be friendly with him. For this Linton was grateful, and
continued to keep his eyes open in the hope of finding some opportunity
of squaring up matters between them.

His chance was not long in coming. The feeling in the house against
Sheen, caused by the story of his encounter with Attell, had not
diminished. Stanning had fostered it in various little ways. It was not
difficult. When a house of the standing in the school which Seymour's
possessed exhibits a weak spot, the