The Broken Phial



517



I promised the boy who did this mischief Not for the
feat itself, but for braving me, when I ordered him to
speak out, and he would not."
  Yorke grew angry and desperate. " Let it be proved
against me, sir, if you please, before you punish. I
don't think even Bywater, rancorous as he is, can prove
me guilty."
  AIt this moment, who should walk forward but Mr.
Bill Simms, much to the astonishment of the head-
master, and of the school in general.  Since Mr.
Simms's confession to the master, touching the trick
played on Charles Channing, he had not led the most
agreeable of lives. Some of the boys treated him with
silent contempt, some worried his life out of him, and
all hated him. He could now enjoy a little bit of retalia-
tion on one of them, at any rate.
  " Please, sir, the day the surplice was inked, I saw
Gerald Yorke come out of the college just before after-
noon service, and chuck a broken ink-bottle over into
the burial-ground."
  " You saw it !" exclaimed the master, while Gerald
turned his livid face, his flashing eye on the young tell-
tale.
  " Yes, sir. I wvas in the cloisters, inside one of the
niches, and saw it.  Charley Channing was in the
cloisters too, but he didn't see me, and I don't think
Mr. Yorke saw either of us."
  " Why did you not tell me this at the time"
  Mr. Bill Simms stood on his heels and stood on his
toes, and pulled his lanky straw hair, and rubbed his
face, cre he spoke. " I was afraid, sir. I knew Mr.
Yorke would beat me."
  " Cur!" ejaculated Gerald, below his breath. The
head-master turned his eves upon him.
  "Yorke, I-"
  A commotion at the door, and Mr. Pye stopped.
There burst in a lady with a wide extent of crinoline,
but that was not the worst of the bustle. Her cheeks
were flushed, her hands lifted, her eyes wild; altogether
she was in a state of the utmost excitement. Gerald
stared with all his might, and the head-master rose to
receive her as she sailed down upon him. It was Lady
Augusta Yorke.