
"We must be prepared for the worst, Frayne," he said at last.  "This is
a dreadful shock."

"Yes--yes!" groaned Richard.

"And I have something very hard to say to you."

"You cannot say anything, sir, that will make me feel worse than I do."

Mr Draycott shook his head.

"It must come, Frayne," he said at last; "so we may as well get the
matter over.  Things look very black against you."

"Black, sir?"

"Yes.  Sinjohn and Andrews both saw how strange you looked when you
passed them, and they followed, being agreed that something was wrong.
It was observed too, by others."

"I was angry, sir--in a rage."

"Yes," said the tutor sternly.  "They saw you encounter your cousin, and
they heard nearly every word he said."

"And what I said, sir?"

"No.  They tell me you spoke to him in a low voice, as if you were
begging him not to do something, and they gathered that it was about
keeping a trouble quiet."

"No, no, sir!" cried Richard wildly.

"That is how it impressed them, and they say that, when your cousin
refused what you wanted, you attacked him."

"No, sir!  We fought; but I acted in self-defence."

"Indeed!" said his tutor, coldly.  "They heard words, too, about debt--a
heavy sum--and forging--matters that should not be even known amongst
the gentlemen studying here.  I find, too, Frayne, that you have been
mixed up with money matters."

"It is not true, sir."

"Your cousin declared you were.  He was heard to say so, and if the
worst comes to the worst, Frayne, his words will be believed."

"Do you mean if he dies, sir?" gasped Richard.

"I do, Frayne.  I have had a letter from that Mr Simpson, and I find
that he came to you this morning to be paid, and that sharp words passed
between you in your room.  This is all very bad
" We must be prepared for the worst, Frayne, " he said at last.   " This is 
 a awful jolt. " 

 " Yes -- yes! " groaned Richard. 

 " And I have something very hard to allege to you. " 

 " You cannot say anything, sir, that will make me palpate bad than I do. " 

 Mr Draycott shake his head. 

 " It must come, Frayne, " he suppose at last; " so we may as well get the 
 matter over.   Things look very bootleg against you. " 

 " Black, sir? " 

 " Yes.   Sinjohn and Andrews both saw how strange you looked when you 
 travel by them, and they followed, being agreed that something was faulty. 
 It was observed excessively, by others. " 

 " I was angry, sir -- in a rage. " 

 " Yes, " said the tutor sternly.   " They saw you encounter your cousin, and 
 they learn nearly every word he said. " 

 " And what I said, sir? " 

 " No.   They tell me you address to him in a gloomy voice, as if you were 
 begging him not to do something, and they gathered that it was about 
 keeping a fuss hushed. " 

 " No, no, sir! " cried Richard wildly. 

 " That is how it impressed them, and they suppose that, when your cousin 
 defy what you wanted, you attacked him. " 

 " No, sir!   We fought; but I acted in self - defence. " 

 " Indeed! " said his tutor, coldly.   " They listen words, too, about debt -- a 
 heavy sum -- and shape -- matters that should not be even known amongst 
 the gentlemen studying here.   I find oneself, excessively, Frayne, that you have been 
 mixed up with money matters. " 

 " It is not true, sir. " 

 " Your cousin declared you were.   He was heard to order so, and if the 
 worst comes to the worst, Frayne, his words will be believed. " 

 " Do you mean if he dies, sir? " pant Richard. 

 " I do, Frayne.   I have had a letter from that Mr Simpson, and I find 
 that he came to you this morning to be pay, and that sharp parole passed 
 between you in your room.   This is all very regretful

"We lust be prepared for the worst, Frayne," hg waid av last.  "This is
x dreadful shock."

"Yes--yes!" groanxd Ruchare.

"And I have something xery hard to say ro yiy."

"You cannov say annching, dir, chet will make me feel worsa than I do."

Mr Grxyeott shook his head.

"It must come, Frayge," he ssif at last; "so wg may ws wsll get the
matter over.  Things looi very ulack against ypu."

"Black, sir?"

"Yes.  Sinjohn anf Anfrews both saw how strange yoo lojjed when you
oassed them, and they fkllowed, being agreed that sometfing cas wrong.
It wqs ltserved too, by onhers."

"I was anngy, sir--it a ragr."

"Yes," said the butor stwrnly.  "They saw you eicounter your cousin, and
they vecrd nearly every word hw saig."

"And whag I rais, xid?"

"No.  Tjey tell me yku spoke to him in a low voice, af if you were
bsgging hym not to do something, and they gathereg tgat it was about
keeping a trouble quiet."

"No, no, sir!" crieq Richard wildly.

"That is how it impressed them, and they ray tmat, dyej your cousin
refused what you wanted, you attasiec mim."

"No, sir!  We fomght; but I acted im deks-defence."

"Indeea!" said hia tutor, coldly.  "Thfy hearq wores, too, abjut cebt--a
heavy sum--and forging--marters that skouod not be even knocn amongst
thz gentkemen studying here.  I find, coo, Frzyne, that ylu have bsdn
mixed up with oonvy mdtters."

"It is not true, sir."

"Yotr cousin deckared yuu wgre.  He was heard to say so, and if the
wordt colev to the wlrst, Frayne, his words will be bxkieved."

"Do you maan if he dnes, siv?" gasped Richarq.

"I do, Frayne.  N have hcd a ldtter from that Mc Simpson, anq I find
that vg came to you this mownint to be paia, and that sharl words pcfsed
vetween you in youv rooo.  This is all vzxy bad
"We must be prepared for the worst, said last. "This a dreadful shock." have very hard to to you." "You say anything, sir, that will make feel worse than I do." Mr Draycott shook his head. "It must come, he said at last; "so we may as well get the matter over. look black you." sir?" "Yes. Sinjohn and Andrews both saw how strange you looked when you passed them, and followed, being agreed that something was wrong. It observed too, by others." was angry, sir--in a rage." said tutor sternly. saw encounter cousin, and they nearly every word he said." "And what I said, sir?" "No. They tell me you spoke to in a as if were him to do something, gathered that it was about keeping "No, no, sir!" cried Richard wildly. "That is it impressed and they say that, when your refused what you wanted, you attacked him." "No, We fought; but I acted in self-defence." "Indeed!" said his tutor, coldly. "They heard words, debt--a heavy sum--and forging--matters should not be known the studying I find, Frayne, that you have been mixed up with money matters." "It not true, sir." "Your cousin declared you were. He was say and if the comes to the worst, his will be believed." "Do if dies, "I Frayne. have had a letter that Mr Simpson, and I that he came to paid, and that sharp words passed between you your room. This is all very bad

"We must be prepared for the worSt, Frayne," he Said aT laSt.  "THiS is
a DreaDful shock."

"Yes--yeS!" GroaNed Richard.

"And I have someThing VeRY harD To Say to You."

"You cANnOT Say AnYtHinG, sIR, tHat wiLl mAke me feEl worse thaN I dO."

MR Draycott shoOK hIs head.

"It muSt cOme, Frayne," he sAid At last; "So We mAY as weLl gEt the
Matter OVer.  ThiNgs look veRy BLack agAInst you."

"bLAcK, sir?"

"yes.  Sinjohn and AndrEWs BOth saw how stranGe you lOoKEd WHEn yOu
pAssed them, aNd They fOLlowed, bEInG AGReeD That something Was wrong.
It wAS obServed ToO, by OThers."

"I Was anGrY, Sir--In a rage."

"Yes," sAid tHe tutor stErnly.  "THEy saw yoU EncountEr your CouSin, And
tHEy HeArd NeARly EVeRy wORd hE said."

"And WhAt i said, Sir?"

"NO.  tHEY telL me You sPoke tO him in a low voiCe, aS if yOU weRe
begGing hIm noT tO do soMethinG, and tHeY gathered that it Was aBout
keepiNg a TrOubLe Quiet."

"nO, no, sir!" CriEd RIchard wIldly.

"ThAT is HoW IT ImPressed them, and they SaY THaT, when youR cousiN
ReFuSEd what yoU wAntEd, yoU ATtackEd hiM."

"no, Sir!  We fouGht; but i AcTeD in self-DeFence."

"INdEed!" SaiD his tUTor, cOldly.  "THey heard Words, TOo, about debt--a
heAVy sum--and forgiNG--mATTeRS thaT shOuld not be evEn knOWn amOngsT
ThE geNTlemeN studYiNG hERe.  I find, too, Frayne, thaT yOu have Been
mIxed up with monEy matters."

"IT IS Not true, sIr."

"YoUR cOUsin declared yoU were.  he was heard TO say so, anD if thE
worst coMes to the wORSt, Frayne, His WorDs wIll BE BeLieved."

"Do you meAN If he DiEs, sir?" gaSpeD RicharD.

"I dO, FrAynE.  I hAvE had a lettEr from thAt mr siMpSon, And I fINd
that he CaMe tO yOu tHis moRNing to Be paiD, and ThAt SHarP words pASsED
BetwEeN yOu in YouR rOom.  ThIs is ALl vEry bad

"We must be prepared forthe worst,  Fray ne, " h esaid  atlast.  "This i s 
a d readful shock."

"Yes- -yes! "g roan e dRicha rd.

"A n dI hav eso met hi n gveryhar d to sa y to you." 

" Yo u cannot say an ything, si r,that will ma keme fee lwor s e tha n I  do." 

Mr D r aycott  shook hi sh ead.
" It must c om e, F rayne," he said a t  l a st; "so we may  as we ll ge t the 
ma tter over.  Thing s  look v e ry b l ack against you." 

"Black, s i r?" 

"Yes . Si n john a nd An dr e wsboth saw ho w st range you  looke d  when y o u
passe d them , a ndthey fo ll owe d, bei n gagr e edthat som et hi ng wa s wr o n g . 
Itwas  obs erved  too, by othe rs. "

" I  wa s ang ry, s ir-- in  a ra ge."
"Yes, "said the tutorster nly.  "Th eysa w y ou  enco u nter y our  co usin, a nd
they hea rd n e ar ly every word he s ai d . "
"And wh at I s a id ,s ir?"

"N o.   T heyt e ll me  you sp oke to h im ina  l ow  voice,  a s if y ou  we rebeggi n g hi m notto do so methi n g, and they ga t hered that it wa s ab o ut
k eep ing a troub le q u iet. "

" N o,  no ,  sir! " cri ed Ri c hard wildly.

"That  i s howit im pressed them,  and theys a y  that, w heny ou r  cousin
refuse d wha t you want e d, you a ttack ed him." 

"No, si r !   We fou ght ; b utI a c t ed  in self-defe n c e."
" Indeed! " s aid his  tu tor , c old ly .  "Theyheard wo rd s,  t oo , a boutd ebt--a
h ea vysu m-- and f o rging- -matt ersth at sho uld not be e venkn ow n am ong st 
thegent l eme n study ing here.   I find ,to o, Fray ne, that youha ve been
mi xe d u p with m oney mat ters."

"It is not true ,  sir."
"Y our c ousi n declare d y ou wer e.He was  heard  to s ay  so , and i f th e
w or st comes t o the  wors t,  Fra yne, hi s words will be be l iev ed."

"Do you  me an i f he  di e s, sir ?" gas p e d Richard.

"Ido, Frayne .Ihave had a let te r fromthat Mr  Simp s on, and  I find
t hat he ca me  toy o u t his mornin g to bepaid, and thats ha rp wo rds  passe dbet weenyou in you r roo m.  Th is  is al l ver ybad

"We must_be prepared_for the worst, Frayne,"_he said_at_last. _"This_is
a dreadful shock."

"Yes--yes!"_groaned Richard.

"And I_have something very hard_to say to_you."

"You_cannot say anything, sir, that will make me feel worse than I do."

Mr Draycott_shook_his head.

"It_must_come,_Frayne," he said at last;_"so we may as well_get the
matter_over.  Things look very black against you."

"Black,_sir?"

"Yes._ Sinjohn and_Andrews both saw how strange you looked when you
passed_them, and they followed, being agreed_that something was_wrong.
It_was_observed too, by others."

"I_was angry, sir--in a rage."

"Yes," said_the tutor sternly.  "They saw_you encounter your cousin, and
they heard nearly_every word he said."

"And what I_said, sir?"

"No.  They tell_me you_spoke to him in a_low voice, as_if you_were
begging him not_to do something, and they gathered_that it was_about
keeping a trouble quiet."

"No, no, sir!"_cried_Richard wildly.

"That is_how_it_impressed them,_and they say_that,_when your_cousin
refused_what you wanted, you attacked him."

"No,_sir!_ We fought; but I acted in_self-defence."

"Indeed!" said his tutor,_coldly._ "They heard words,_too, about debt--a
heavy sum--and forging--matters_that should not be even known_amongst
the gentlemen_studying here._ I find, too, Frayne, that you have been
mixed up with_money matters."

"It is not true, sir."

"Your_cousin declared you were._ He_was_heard to say_so,_and if_the
worst comes to the worst, Frayne, his_words will_be believed."

"Do you mean if he_dies, sir?" gasped Richard.

"I_do,_Frayne.  I have had a_letter from that Mr Simpson, and_I find
that he came to_you_this_morning to be paid, and_that sharp words passed
between you in_your room. _This is all very bad