for once to stand by
his colours and have nothing more to do with this tempter.

Silk's face fell, as it always did when Riddell's name was mentioned.
He had imagined the boy was coming to see him, and it did not please him
to find himself mistaken.

"Are you?" said he. "Come along to my study first, though; I want to
speak to you."

"I can't come, thank you," said Wyndham.

"Can't! Why ever not?" exclaimed Silk.

"I don't want to come, that's why," said Wyndham, doggedly, and
attempting to move past.

But this by no means suited Silk.

"Suppose I tell you you _must_ come," demanded he, stepping in front of
the boy with a menacing air.

"Please let me go by," repeated Wyndham, making another attempt.

"Not till you tell me what you mean by saying you won't do as I tell
you."

"I mean that I'm not going to your study," said young Wyndham.

"Oh, very well," said Silk, standing back to let him pass.

There was something in his tone and manner as he said the words which
made Wyndham uneasy. He had made up his mind at all costs he would
break with Silk; yet now he could not help remembering he was at the
fellow's mercy.

So, instead of going on, he stood where he was, and said, rather less
defiantly, "Can't you say what you've got to say here?"

"Oh, of course. I can easily tell the whole school of your--"

"Oh, hush, please!" cried the boy in alarm; "you promised you wouldn't
tell any one. I'll come to your study."

Silk, with a triumphant sneer, turned and led the way, followed by his
chafing victim, who devoutly wished he had never thought of coming to
see Riddell at all.

When they were in the study, Silk turned and said, "All I want to say
is, that, I don't choose for you to be going such a lot to Riddell. I
don't like him, and you'd better keep away."

"Why?" faltered Wyndham. "It doesn't do you any harm."

"How do I know you don't blab all my secrets to him, eh?"

"Oh, I wouldn't do it for anything. I promised you and Gilks."

"Bah! what's the use of that? You go and tell him everything you do
yourself, and of course he knows it means us as well as you."

"No, he doesn't--really. I've never said a word to him about--about
Beamish's."

"It's a good job you haven't; and you'd better not, I can tell you."

"I won't," said the boy.

"I don't choose to have my concerns talked about to anybody," said Silk,
"I suppose it was he put you up to cutting me."

"No--that is," said Wyndh