know," said Silk, "but it seems to be a
fact."

"Who was it? a master or a monitor, or who?" asked the boy, anxiously.

"Neither. I don't fancy you know the fellow at all; I do, though."

Silk, as he concocted this lie, would probably have been as astonished
as any one to discover that the escapade in question had really been
witnessed by two boys from the box of the doctor's own fly!

"You know him?" said Wyndham. "Will he let out, do you think?"

"I can't say. I think I could prevent him," said Silk.

"Oh, please do," said the troubled boy, full of exaggerated terror at
the consequences of detection.

"I'll see," said Silk, not very assuringly.

"What!" cried Wyndham. "You surely won't leave me in the lurch, Silk?"

Silk looked benevolently at his young friend.

"It depends," said he, coolly.

"Depends! On what? Oh, Silk, what do you mean?"

"Don't alarm yourself," said Silk, smiling. Then he added,
confidentially, "The fact is, young un, I'm hard-up. I lost a lot of
money on the race, owing to that--that is, because Parrett's lost. The
thing is, can you lend me a couple of sovereigns, Wyndham?"

Wyndham's face clouded for a moment, but he replied quickly, "Yes, I
can, Silk, if you'll promise to see it doesn't get out about last
Saturday."

"Of course I will. You don't suppose I'm such a cad as all that."

"Oh, no," said Wyndham, looking more cheerful, and taking out his purse.

He drew from it a post-office order.

"It's for three pounds," he said. "I was going to change it to-morrow."

"Oh, I'll do that," said Silk. "I'm going into town early. You have
signed it, I see. There'll be a sov. to give you out of it, won't
there?"

"Yes, please; and the two pounds, and the ten shillings the other day,"
faltered the boy.

"You shall have them back, never fear," said Silk, pocketing the order.

Wyndham, in spite of this assurance, did fear considerably, as he
returned with empty purse to his house.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

THE NEW CAPTAIN TURNED WELCHER.

Riddell, who probably felt the sting of the boat-race mishap more
sensitively than any boy in Willoughby, was pacing the playground in a
dispirited mood a morning or two after, when Dr Patrick suddenly
confronted him.

"Ah, Riddell," said the latter, cheerily, "I'm glad I have met you. I
want to have a talk. Let me see," said he, pulling out his watch,
"there's hardly time now, though. Will you come and have tea with me
this