don't know why you
should be so kind to me. And now it's too late to be friends."

"I hope not," said Riddell, cheerily. "We needn't stop being friends
because you're going away."

"Needn't we!--will you write to me now and then?" asked Gilks, eagerly.

"Of course I will, and you must do the same. I'll let you know all the
news here."

Gilks sighed.

"I'm afraid the news here won't be very pleasant for me to hear," said
he. "What a fury the fellows will be in when they hear about it. I
say, Riddell, if you get a chance tell them how ashamed and miserable I
was, will you?"

"I will, I promise you," replied Riddell.

"And, I say, will you say something to young Wyndham? Tell him how I
hate myself for all the mischief I did to him, and how thankful I am he
had you to keep him straight when I was trying to lead him all wrong.
Will you tell him that?"

"I'll try," said the captain, with a smile, "part of it. But we ought
to be turning in now, or we shall not be up in time."

"All right," said Gilks. "Good-night, Riddell."

"Good-night, old fellow."

Bloomfield was up early next morning. He had only received the evening
before the melancholy notification of the fact that young Wyndham, owing
to circumstances over which he had no control, would be unable to play
in the second-eleven match next week; and he had it on his mind
consequently to find a successor without delay.

Probably, on the principle that the early bird gets the worm, he
determined to be out in good time this morning. But for once in a way
the bird was too early for the worm, and Bloomfield prowled about for a
good quarter of an hour before the aspiring youth of Willoughby mustered
at the wickets.

It was during this early prowl, while the hands of the clock were
between half-past six and seven, that he received something like a shock
from seeing the captain alight at the school gate from the town omnibus.

"Why, whatever's up? Where have you been?" inquired Bloomfield.

"I have just been to see poor Gilks off," said the captain.

"What! then it was true?"

"Yes, I hadn't time to tell you yesterday. He's been expelled."

"The cad!" cried Bloomfield. "It's lucky for him he was able to slink
off unnoticed."

"Oh! don't be too down on him," said the captain. "You'd have been
sorry for him if you'd have seen how cut up and ashamed he was. After
all, he was little better than a tool in somebody else's hands."

"Silk's you mea