ll be able to come
on the cheap. I shall do what I can for him, but I expect he'll have a
hot time, for the day boys are rather small beer. The exhibitioners
have the best time of it. If Brown could get a junior exhibition and
live in school, he could fag for me and have a jolly time. But poor
Dicky hasn't got it in him. I got rather lammed after I got home from
Plummer's; but it was all right when Plummer wrote to say that a burglar
had shot the dog, and he was sorry there had been a mistake, and hoped
I'd go back. Catch me! It's better fun here--as much cricket as you
like, and a river, and gymnasium, and all sorts of sprees. It wouldn't
be half bad if you were here, kid; but I suppose you're a young gent
with a topper and a bag at your guardian's office. I hope it suits
you--wouldn't me--" and so on.

How this letter made me long to be at Low Heath, and how it made me
realise what an ass I had been to go in for that crib! I really felt
too bad to go that day to Miss Steele, even if she would have let me!
and wandered about cudgelling my brains how on earth I could get her to
take me back again.

She wouldn't believe my protestations, I knew; but she might believe
deeds, not words.

So I shut myself up in my room and took down my arithmetic, and worked
out sum after sum all off my own bat, till my brain reeled and I could
hardly distinguish one figure from another. Some I knew were wrong,
others I hoped were right; all were _bona fide_. I stuck to it till
nearly midnight, and then, merely writing my name on the top, put them
into an envelope, under the flap of which I wrote, "I've burnt the crib.
Try me this once," and posted them to my offended teacher.

No answer came for twenty-four hours, which I spent on pins and needles,
working away frantically during my leisure hours, and occupying part of
my business time in personally avenging an insult offered to Miss
Steele's name by one of my guardian's junior clerks. I wished she could
have seen me. I got a terrible blow on the eye, but I gave him two, and
caused him to regret audibly that he had spoken disparagingly of my
cruel fair.

Next morning a note came to my mother.

"Please tell your boy I shall be in this afternoon."

In fear and trembling I presented myself, and confronted not Miss Steele
but Miss Bousfield, who addressed me in terse and forcible language, and
gave me to understand that I was a person of extremely second-rate
character a