Guests
began to depart, and among the earliest were the doctor and his ladies.
The doctor came up to the boys, and said, kindly, "We're driving up; you
two had better come with us, there's plenty of room on the box. Now, my
love--now, Miss Stringer."

Miss Stringer! Telson nearly fainted as he saw who it was who answered
to the name.

"Let's walk up," he said, entreatingly, to Parson.

"I don't mind, only Paddy--"

"Now then, boys," cried the doctor, "there's room for one inside.
Telson, will you come?"

Telson bounded up on to the box without another word, and Parson beside
him, and the fly drove off.

"Oh, Parson, old man, I'm a gone coon!" exclaimed Telson, in tones of
abject misery, as soon as they were clear of the Browns' premises.

"Why, what's up?"

"Miss Stringer!"

"What about her? Isn't she a cad, eh?"

"Yes, and _I told her so_," groaned Telson; "I didn't know who she was,
and I said--"

"Hullo, I say, look there!" exclaimed Parson, suddenly catching his
friend by the arm.

They were passing the Aquarium, which at that moment was disgorging its
visitors. Among those who emerged exactly as the doctor's fly passed
were three boys, whom Telson and Parson recognised in a moment.

They were Silk and Gilks and another younger boy, who seemed to shrink
from observation, and whose head was turned another way as the fly
passed. The three, immediately on gaining the street, started to run
towards Willoughby ahead of the fly.

The two boys on the box pulled their caps over their eyes, and said not
a word till the truants were clear. Then Telson said, "That was young
Wyndham!"

"I know. I wonder if Paddy saw them?"

"Shouldn't think so. And they didn't see us. I say, will they get in
before us?"

"It'll be a shave if they do. What a row there'll be if they don't!"

It was a curious thing that almost immediately after this short dialogue
Telson's cap fell off into the road, and the fly had to be pulled up
while he and Parson got down and looked for it. It was a dark night,
and the cap took some time to find. When finally it was recovered, and
progress was resumed, full five minutes had been lost over the search,
by which time the truants had got a clear half-mile to the good, and
were safe.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

THE BOAT-RACE.

The few days that intervened between the Saturday of Brown's party and
the Wednesday of the great race were days of restless suspense in
Willoughby. E