d the memory of that evening crushed out the hope. What
could he do? To do nothing would be simply adding his own crime to that
of another. If only the boy would confess voluntarily! Could that have
possibly been the object which brought him there that evening? The last
time they had talked together, even in the midst of his contrition, he
had been strangely reserved about something in the past. Might not this
be the very secret he had now come to confide?

"How have you been getting on the last week?" he asked, gravely. "Have
you been able to keep pretty straight?"

"Yes, I hope so," said Wyndham. "You see, this cricket doesn't give a
fellow much chance of going wrong."

"No; but of course one needs to do more than merely not go wrong," said
the captain.

"What do you mean?"

"I suppose when any of us _has_ done wrong we ought to try to make up
for it somehow."

"Oh, yes, of course," said Wyndham, feeling a little uncomfortable.
"The worst of it is, you can't always do that except by keeping right in
future."

"Supposing you had owed some fellow a sovereign last term, you would
consider that all you had to do was not to owe him any more this term?"
said Riddell.

"No; of course not! I'd have to pay him, I know," said Wyndham.

"Well, what I mean," said the captain, "is that--that--why, the fact is,
Wyndham," said he, "I'm afraid you have still some old scores you ought
to clear up."

Wyndham looked hard at the captain, and coloured.

"I see what you mean," he said, in a low voice. "I know you're right.
I wish I could do it."

"You wish!" exclaimed Riddell. "Wishing will not do it."

Wyndham looked hard at him once more, and answered, in agitated tones.

"I say, Riddell. Do you know about it, then?"

"I think I do."

At that moment a bell began to sound across the quadrangle.

"That's lock-up; I must go!" exclaimed Wyndham, wildly. "For goodness'
sake, don't tell any one, Riddell! Oh what a fool I have been!"

And next moment he was gone.

Riddell continued to pace the room, half stupefied with bewilderment and
misery.

"For goodness' sake, don't tell any one!" The cry rang in his ears till
it drove him nearly mad.

Poor Wyndham! What must his state of mind be? What must it have been
all this time, with that miserable secret lurking there and poisoning
his whole life? And yet the chance had been given him, and he had clung
to the secret still, and in the face of discovery ha