u must be ready to leave by this time to-morrow."

Silk hesitated for a moment, then with a look round at Riddell, he said,
"Before I go, sir, I think you ought to know that Wyndham junior--"

"What about him?" asked the doctor, coldly.

"He is in the habit, as Riddell here knows, of frequenting low places of
amusement in Shellport. I have not mentioned it before; but now I am
leaving, and Riddell is not likely to tell you of it, I think you ought
to know of it, sir."

"The matter has already been reported," said the doctor, almost
contemptuously. "You can go, Silk."

The game was fairly played out at last, and Silk slunk off, followed
shortly afterwards by the captain and Gilks.

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.

A TRANSFORMATION SCENE.

Willoughby little dreamed that night, as it went to bed, of the
revolutions and changes of the day which had just passed.

It knew that Silk and Gilks had been reported for fighting, and
naturally concluded that they had also been punished. It had heard,
too, a rumour of young Wyndham's having been "gated" for breaking
bounds.

But beyond that it knew nothing. Nothing of the treaty of peace between
the two captains, of the discovery of the boat-race mystery, of the
double expulsion that was impending.

And still less did it dream of the unwonted scene which was taking place
that evening in the captain's study.

Riddell and Gilks sat and talked far into the night.

I am not going to describe that talk. Let the reader imagine it.

Let him imagine all that a sympathetic and honest fellow like Riddell
could say to cheer and encourage a broken-down penitent like Gilks. And
let him imagine all that that forlorn, expelled boy, who had only just
discovered that he had a friend in Willoughby, would have to say on this
last night at the old school.

It was a relief to him to unburden his mind, and Riddell encouraged him
to do it. He told all the sad history of the failures, and follies, and
sins which had reached their catastrophe that day; and the captain, on
his side, in his quiet manly way, strove all he could to infuse some
hope for the future, and courage to bear his present punishment.

Whether he succeeded or not he could hardly tell; but when the evening
ended, and the two finally betook themselves to bed in anticipation of
Gilks's early start in the morning, it was with a feeling of comfort and
relief on both sides.

"If only I had known you before!" said Gilks. "I