The Broken Phial



515



  Bywater had whipped the broken phial out of his
pocket, and was handing the smaller piece towards the
master. M\r. IPye looked at it curiously.
    As I was turning over my surplice, sir, in the
vestry, when I found it that day, I saw this bit of glass
lying in the wet ink. I thought it belonged to a small
ornamental phial, which Gerald Yorke used to keep,
about that time, in his pocket, full of ink.  But I
couldn't be sure. So I put the bit of glass into my
pocket, thinking the phial would turn up some day,
if it did belong to it. And so it has. You can put the
piece into it, sir, and see whether it fits."
  Gerald Yorke left his place, and joined Bywater before
the head-master. Hie looked white and haughty. " Is
it to be borne, sir, that he should tell those lies of me"
    Are they lies" returned Mr. Pye, who was fitting
the piece into the bottle.
  " I have told no lies yet," said Bvwater. " And I
have not said for certain you did it. I say I think so."
  " You never found that bottle upon the surplice ! I
don't believe it !" foamed Gerald.
  " I found the little piece of glass. I put it into my
trousers pocket, wet with ink as it was, and here are
the stains of ink still," added Bywater, turning out
that receptacle for the benefit of MIr. Pye. " It was
this same pair of trousers I had on that day."
  " Bywater," said the master, " why did you not say,
at the time, that you found the piece of glass"
  " Because, sir, the bit, by itself, would have told
nothing. I thought I'd wait tili the bottle itself turned
up. Old Jenkins, the bedesman, found it a few days
ago in the college burial-ground, pretty near to the
college gates; just in the spot where it most likely
would be, sir, if one came out of the college in a fright
and dashed it over."
  " Does this belong to you, Yorke" inquired the
master, scrutinizing that gentleman's countenance, as
he had previously scrutinized Bywater's.
  Gerald Yorke took the phial in his hand and examined
it. He knew perfectly well that it was his, but he was
asking himself whether the school, apart from Bywater,
could contradict him, if he said it was not. He feared
they might.