mmond," he said, "and I had a sort of
idea it was Sheen. Still, I was pretty busy at the time, and wasn't
paying much attention to anything, except that long, thin bargee with
the bowler. I wish those men would hit straight. It's beastly difficult
to guard a round-arm swing. My right ear feels like a cauliflower. Does
it look rum?"

"Beastly. But what about this? You can't swear to Sheen then?"

"No. Better give him the benefit of the doubt. What does Drummond say?
You ought to ask him."

"I have. He says he was alone."

"Well, that settles it. What an ass you are. If Drummond doesn't know,
who does?"

"I believe he's simply hushing it up."

"Well, let us hush it up, too. It's no good bothering about it. We
licked them all right."

"But it's such a beastly thing for the house."

"Then why the dickens do you want it to get about? Surely the best
thing you can do is to dry up and say nothing about it."

"But something ought to be done."

"What's the good of troubling about a man like Sheen? He never was any
good, and this doesn't make him very much worse. Besides, he'll
probably be sick enough on his own account. I know I should, if I'd
done it. And, anyway, we don't know that he did do it."

"I'm certain he did. I could swear it was him."

"Anyhow, for goodness' sake let the thing drop."

"All right. But I shall cut him."

"Well, that would be punishment enough for anybody, whatever he'd done.
Fancy existence without your bright conversation. It doesn't bear
thinking of. You do look a freak with that eye and that lump on your
forehead. You ought to wear a mask."

"That ear of yours," said Linton with satisfaction, "will be about
three times its ordinary size tomorrow. And it always was too large.
Good night."

On his way back to Seymour's Mason of Appleby's, who was standing at
his house gate imbibing fresh air, preparatory to going to bed,
accosted him.

"I say, Linton," he said, "--hullo, you look a wreck, don't you!--I
say, what's all this about your house?"

"What about my house?"

"Funking, and all that. Sheen, you know. Stanning has just been telling
me."

"Then he saw him, too!" exclaimed Linton, involuntarily.

"Oh, it's true, then? Did he really cut off like that? Stanning said he
did, but I wouldn't believe him at first. You aren't going? Good
night."

So the thing was out. Linton had not counted on Stanning having seen
what he and Dunstable had seen. It was impossible to hush it