are all silver, and I don't suppose we could get more than a pound apiece for them. But still that's something, and with our united silver would make up six pounds."
"I could get a pound or two from my cousin," Frank said; "Fred always seems to be well supplied with money."
"Because he never spends any," Harris said. "I am mistaken if Barkley will lend you anything."
"Oh, he will lend it if he's got it." But Harris turned out to be right. After the next school Frank laid the case before his cousin, who listened in silence to the story.
"I am very sorry, Frank," he said when he had finished, "but I am entirely out of money at present."
"I thought you always had money," Frank said shortly.
"Not always," Fred replied quietly. "As you know, I am fond of books, and last week I paid my bill for that edition of Shakespeare that you were admiring."
Fred Barkley had indeed a library of books of which he was very proud, and which was worth more than all those belonging to the rest of the boys up College together. Frank was too proud to suggest that his cousin could, if he chose, easily raise the amount required on a few of his favourites, and left the room without saying a word.
Fred Barkley did not continue the work upon which he was engaged after his cousin had left the room, but sat looking fixedly at the papers before him.
"This is a grand opportunity," he muttered to himself, "and I should be a fool if I let it slip. The question is, how is it best to be managed. I should be an idiot indeed if I cannot put a spoke into Master Frank's wheel somehow."
The next day the Sixth Form, as usual, went into the library to do their construing. Dr. Litter, according to his usual custom, walked up and down hearing them and asking questions, the form sitting at their desks, which ran round the room. The Doctor was a fidgety man, and was always either twirling his watch-chain or eye-glass, or rattling the keys, knife, and other articles in his trousers pockets. Being perfectly conscious of the habit, he often emptied the contents of his pocket on to the table before starting to walk about the room, and this he did on the present occasion.
As often happened, he was called from the room in the course of the lesson, and, ordering the boys to get up twenty additional lines of their Greek play in his absence, he left the room and did not return for half an hour. While he was away the boys moved freely about, some to consult each other's lexicons, others to chat. When Dr. Litter returned the lesson was finished, and the boys went back to the great schoolroom.
On the following morning Frank Norris received a letter. On his opening it he found, to his astonishment, that it contained only a bank-note for ten pounds, with the words "From a friend." Frank was simply astounded.
Who on earth could have sent him the exact sum of which he stood in need? He at once told his three friends what had occurred, and they were as much astonished as himself. All agreed that it was a perfect Godsend, though how any one could have got to know of his necessity for ten pounds at this special time none could imagine, as this was, as far as they were aware, known only to themselves and Fred Barkley. Frank at once concluded that his cousin must have sent him the money, and immediately sent up College and asked him to come to his room. Fred soon came up, and Frank at once proceeded to thank him for his gift. Fred, however, appeared as surprised as himself, and disclaimed any knowledge whatever of the note.
"I told you, Frank," he said reproachfully, "that I had no money. Do you think that if I had it I would not have given it to you at once, instead of sending it in that roundabout manner? Do you know the handwriting? that may afford you some clue."
"No," Frank said; "the name and address, as well as the words within, are done in printing characters, so that it is impossible to say who wrote them. Well, it is an extraordinary business, and I can only say that I am extremely thankful to the good fairy who has got me out of the scrape."
Frank felt indeed relieved. He felt sure that the head-master would consider such an escapade by boys of the Sixth Form an unforgivable crime, and that expulsion would follow discovery; and knowing the hot temper of his uncle, he feared that the latter would view the matter in the most serious light. It was therefore with a light heart that he went across to the Black Dog and placed the note in the hands of Perkins, merely saying that he was glad to say that he had been able to get the money to satisfy the red-haired tailor for his loss of beauty.
"It goes agin my heart to give it to him, Mr. Norris; but in course if you decide not to face it out there's nothing for it. I am glad you have got the money together."
A week later one of the monitors informed Frank that the head-master wished to see him in the library. Wondering at this unusual order, Frank at once repaired there. Dr. Litter was sitting at his table, and he raised his eyes gravely as Frank entered.
"Norris," he said, "I have been shocked at what has happened more than at anything which has occurred to me during my head-mastership of Westminster. I may tell you that everything is discovered. Now I leave it to you to make a full and frank confession."
Frank was thunderstruck. So in some way his breaking out of bounds had become known to the headmaster. The tailor must have turned traitor and peached after having received his money.
For a minute he stood silent and confounded, while Dr. Litter looked at him gravely.
"I acknowledge, sir," Frank began, "that I broke out of bounds to go to a Chartist meeting, and that I got into a row there. I am very sorry now, but I really meant no harm by it; it was a foolish lark."
"And is that all you have to confess?" Dr. Litter said quietly.
"Yes, sir," Frank said in surprise, "I don't know that there's anything else for me to say."
"You have not come to the most serious part of it yet," the Doctor said.
"I don't know what you mean, sir," Frank said, more and more astonished.
"You hurt him, and very seriously."
"Yes, sir, I broke a man's nose in the fight, but I did it in self-defence."
"And you paid him ten pounds to prevent his coming to me," the Doctor said.
"I acknowledge that I did so, but I don't see there was any harm in that."
"And where did you get the ten pounds from?" the Doctor asked slowly.
"It was sent to me in an envelope," Frank replied.
"And who sent it to you?"
"I don't know, sir."
"Norris," the Doctor said sternly, "you stole that note from my table."
Frank stepped back as if struck, the blood left his face, and he stood deadly pale.
"Stole it!" he repeated, in a low, wondering tone.
"Yes," the Doctor repeated, "stole it from my table when I left the room."
"It is a lie!" Frank exclaimed, in a burst of passion; "it is a lie, sir, whoever said it."
Without replying to the outburst, the Doctor touched a bell which stood on the table, and a junior waiting outside entered.
"Tell Mr. Wire and Mr. Richards I wish to speak to them."
Not a word was spoken in the library until the under-masters entered. A thousand thoughts passed rapidly through Frank's brain. He
