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of dust through which boys wrestled, stamped, shouted, and yelled. A desk was carried away in the tumult, a knot of warriors reeled into and split a door-panel, a window was broken, and a gas-jet fell. Under cover of the confusion the three escaped to the corridor, whence they called in and sent up passers-by to the fray.

ā€œRescue, Kings! Kings! Kings! Number Twelve form-room! Rescue, Proutsā€”Prouts! Rescue, Macraes! Rescue, Hartopps!ā€

The juniors hurried out like bees aswarm, asking no questions, clattered up the staircase, and added themselves to the embroilment.

ā€œNot bad for the first eveningā€™s work,ā€ said Stalky, rearranging his collar. ā€œI fancy Proutā€™ll be somewhat annoyed. Weā€™d better establish an alibi.ā€ So they sat on Mr. Kingā€™s railings till prep.

ā€œYou see,ā€ quoth Stalky, as they strolled up to prep. with the ignoble herd, ā€œif you get the houses well mixed up anā€™ scufflinā€™, itā€™s even bettinā€™ that some ass will start a real row. Hullo, Orrin, you look rather metagrobolized.ā€

ā€œIt was all your fault, you beast! You started it. Weā€™ve got two hundred lines apiece, and Heffyā€™s lookinā€™ for you. Just see what that swine Malpas did to my eye!ā€

ā€œI like your saying we started it. Who called us cribbers? Canā€™t your infant mind connect cause and effect yet? Some day youā€™ll find out that it donā€™t pay to jest with Number Five.ā€

ā€œWhereā€™s that shillinā€™ you owe me?ā€ said Beetle suddenly.

Stalky could not see Prout behind him, but returned the lead without a quaver. ā€œI only owed you ninepence, you old usurer.ā€

ā€œYouā€™ve forgotten the interest,ā€ said McTurk. ā€œA halfpenny a week per bob is Beetleā€™s charge. You must be beastly rich, Beetle.ā€

ā€œWell, Beetle lent me sixpence.ā€ Stalky came to a full stop and made as to work it out on his fingers. ā€œSixpence on the nineteenth, didnā€™t he?ā€

ā€œYes; hut youā€™ve forgotten you paid no interest on the other bobā€”the one I lent you before.ā€

ā€œBut you took my watch as security.ā€ The game was developing itself almost automatically.

ā€œNever mind. Pay me my interest, or Iā€™ll charge you interest on interest. Remember, Iā€™ve got your note-of-hand!ā€ shouted Beetle.

ā€œYou are a cold-blooded Jew,ā€ Stalky groaned.

ā€œHush!ā€ said McTurk very loudly indeed, and started as Prout came upon them.

ā€œI didnā€™t see you in that disgraceful affair in the form-room just now,ā€ said he.

ā€œWhat, sir? Weā€™re just come up from Mr. Kingā€™s,ā€ said Stalky. ā€œPlease, sir, what am I to do about prep.? Theyā€™ve broken the desk you told me to sit at, and the formā€™s just swimming with ink.ā€

ā€œFind another seatā€”find another seat. Dā€™you expect me to dry-nurse you? I wish to know whether you are in the habit of advancing money to your associates, Beetle?ā€

ā€œNo, sir; not as a general rule, sir.ā€

ā€œIt is a most reprehensible habit. I thought that my house, at least, would be free from it. Even with my opinion of you, I hardly thought it was one of your vices.ā€

ā€œThereā€™s no harm in lending money, sir, is there?ā€

ā€œI am not going to bandy words with you on your notions of morality. How much have you lent Corkran?ā€

ā€œIā€”I donā€™t quite know,ā€ said Beetle. It is difficult to improvise a going concern on the spur of the minute.

ā€œYou seemed certain enough just now.ā€

ā€œI think itā€™s two and fourpence,ā€ said McTurk, with a glance of cold scorn at Beetle. In the hopelessly involved finances of the study there was just that sum to which both McTurk and Beetle laid claim, as their share in the pledging of Stalkyā€™s second-best Sunday trousers. But Stalky had maintained for two terms that the money was his ā€œcommissionā€ for effecting the pawn; and had, of course, spent it on a study ā€œbrew.ā€

ā€œUnderstand this, then. You are not to continue your operations as a money-lender. Two and fourpence, you said, Corkran?ā€

Stalky had said nothing, and continued so to do.

ā€œYour influence for evil is quite strong enough without buying a hold over your companions.ā€ He felt in his pockets, and (oh joy!) produced a florin and fourpence. ā€œBring me what you call Corkranā€™s note-of-hand, and be thankful that I do not carry the matter any further. The money is stopped from your pocket-money, Corkran. The receipt to my study, at once!ā€

Little they cared! Two and fourpence in a lump is worth six weekly sixpences any hungry day of the week.

ā€œBut what the dooce is a note-of-hand?ā€ said Beetle. ā€œI only read about it in a book.ā€

ā€œNow youā€™ve jolly well got to make one,ā€ said Stalky.

ā€œYesā€”but our ink donā€™t turn black till next day. Sā€™pose heā€™ll spot that?ā€

ā€œNot him. Heā€™s too worried,ā€ said McTurk. ā€œSign your name on a bit of impot-paper, Stalky, and write, ā€˜I O U two and fourpence.ā€™ Arenā€™t you grateful to me for getting that out of Prout? Stalkyā€™d never have paidā€¦ Why, you ass!ā€

Mechanically Beetle had handed over the money to Stalky as treasurer of the study. The custom of years is not lightly broken. In return for the document, Prout expounded to Beetle the enormity of money-lending, which, like everything except compulsory cricket, corrupted houses and destroyed good feeling among boys, made youth cold and calculating, and opened the door to all evil. Finally, did Beetle know of any other cases? If so, it was his duty as proof of repentance to let his housemaster know. No names need be mentioned.

Beetle did not knowā€”at least, he was not quite sure, sir. How could he give evidence against his friends? The house might, of courseā€”here he feigned an anguished delicacyā€”be full of it. He was not in a position to say. He had not met with any open competition in his trade; but if Mr. Prout considered it was a matter that affected the honor of the house (Mr. Prout did consider it precisely that), perhaps the house-prefects would be betterā€¦

He spun it out till half-way through prep.

ā€œAnd,ā€ said the amateur Shylock, returning to the form-room and dropping at Stalkyā€™s side, ā€œif he donā€™t think the house is putrid with it, Iā€™m seveiral Dutch-menā€”thatā€™s allā€¦ Iā€™ve been to Mr. Proutā€™s study, sir.ā€ This to the prep.-master. ā€œHe said I could sit where I liked, sirā€¦ Oh, he is just tricklinā€™ with emotionā€¦ Yes, sir, Iā€™m only askinā€™ Corkran to let me have a dip in his ink.ā€

After prayers, on the road to the dormitories, Harrison and Craye, senior house-prefects, zealous in their office, waylaid them with great anger. ā€œWhat have you been doing to Heffy this time, Beetle? Heā€™s been jawing us all the evening.ā€

ā€œWhat has His Serene Transparency been vexinā€™ you for?ā€ said McTurk.

ā€œAbout Beetle lendinā€™ money to Stalky,ā€ began Harrison; ā€œand then Beetle went and told him that there was any amount of money-lendinā€™ in the house.ā€

ā€œNo, you donā€™t,ā€ said Beetle, sitting on a boot-basket. ā€œThatā€™s just what I didnā€™t tell him. I spoke the giddy truth. He asked me if there was much of it in the house; and I said I didnā€™t know.ā€

ā€œHe thinks youā€™re a set of filthy Shylocks,ā€ said McTurk. ā€œItā€™s just as well for you he donā€™t think youā€™re burglars. You know he never gets a notion out of his conscientious old head.ā€

ā€œWell-meaninā€™ man. Did it all for the best.ā€ Stalky curled gracefully round the stair-rail. ā€œHead in a drain-pipe. Full confession in the left boot. Bad for the honor of the houseā€”very.ā€

ā€œShut up,ā€ said Harrison. ā€œYou chaps always behave as if you were jawinā€™ us when we come to jaw you.ā€

ā€œYouā€™re a lot too cheeky,ā€ said Craye.

ā€œI donā€™t quite see where the cheek comes in, except on your part, in interferinā€™ with a private matter between me anā€™ Beetle after it has been settled by Prout.ā€ Stalky winked cheerfully at the others.

ā€œThatā€™s the worst of clever little swots,ā€ said McTurk, addressing the gas. ā€œThey get made prefects before they have any tact, and then they annoy chaps who could really help ā€˜em to look after the honor of the house.ā€

ā€œWe wonā€™t trouble you to do that!ā€ said Craye hotly.

ā€œThen what are you badgerinā€™ us for?ā€ said Beetle. ā€œOn your own showing, youā€™ve been so beastly slack, looking after the house, that Prout believes itā€™s a nest of money-lenders. Iā€™ve told him that Iā€™ve lent money to Stalky, and no one else. I donā€™t know whether he believes me, but that finishes my case. The rest is your business.ā€

ā€œNow we find out,ā€ Stalkyā€™s voice rose, ā€œthat there is apparently an organized conspiracy throughout the house. For aught we know, the fags may be lendinā€™ and borrowinā€™ far beyond their means. We arenā€™t responsible for it. Weā€™re only the rank and file.ā€

ā€œAre you surprised we donā€™t wish to associate with the house?ā€ said McTurk, with dignity. ā€œWeā€™ve kept ourselves to ourselves in our study till we were turned out, and now we find ourselves let in for for this sort of thing. Itā€™s simply disgraceful.ā€

ā€œThen you hector and bullyrag us on the stairs,ā€ said Stalky, ā€œabout matters that are your business entirely. You know we arenā€™t prefects.ā€

ā€œYou threatened us with a prefectā€™s lickinā€™ just now,ā€ said Beetle, boldly inventing as he saw the bewilderment in the faces of the enemy. ā€œAnd if you expect youā€™ll gain anything from us by your way of approachinā€™ us, youā€™re jolly well mistaken. Thatā€™s all. Good-night.ā€

They clattered upstairs, injured virtue on every inch of their backs.

ā€œButā€”but what the dickens have we done?ā€ said Harrison, amazedly, to Craye.

ā€œI donā€™t know. Onlyā€”it always happens that way when one has anything to do with them. Theyā€™re so beastly plausible.ā€

And Mr. Prout called the good boys into his study anew, and succeeded in sinking both his and their innocent minds ten fathoms deeper in blindfolded bedazement. He spoke of steps and measures, of tone and loyalty in the house and to the house, and urged them to take up the matter tactfully.

So they demanded of Beetle whether he had any connection with any other establishment. Beetle promptly went to his housemaster, and wished to know by what right Harrison and Craye had reopened a matter already settled between him and his housemaster. In injured innocence no boy excelled Beetle.

Then it occurred to Prout that he might have been unfair to the culprit, who had not striven to deny or palliate his offense. He sent for Harrison and Craye, reprehending them very gently for the tone they had adopted to a repentant sinner, and when they returned to their study, they used the language of despair. They then made headlong inquisition through the house, driving the fags to the edge of hysterics, and unearthing, with tremendous pomp and parade, the natural and inevitable system of small loans that prevails among small boys.

ā€œYou see, Harrison, Thornton minor lent me a penny last Saturday, because I was fined for breaking the window; and I spent it at Keyteā€™s. I didnā€™t know there was any harm in it. And Wray major borrowed twopence from me when my uncle sent me a post-office orderā€”I cashed it at Keyteā€™sā€”for five bob; but heā€™ll pay me back before the holidays. We didnā€™t know there was anything wrong in it.ā€

They waded through hours of this kind of thing, but found no usury, or anything approaching to Beetleā€™s gorgeous scale of interest. The seniorsā€”for the school had no tradition of deference to prefects outside compulsory gamesā€”told them succinctly to go about their business. They would not give evidence on any terms. Harrison was one idiot, and Craye was another; but the greatest of all, they said, was their housemaster.

When a house is thoroughly upset, however good its conscience, it breaks into knots and coteriesā€”small gatherings in the twilight, box-room committees, and groups in the corridor. And when from group to group, with an immense affectation of secrecy, three wicked boys steal, crying ā€œCaveā€™ā€

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