So much he decided. It may be mentioned that he arrived at this decision first of all. It may be added that his consciousness of the desirability of getting money was not lessened by the fact that he possessed none now; no, not so much as a specimen of the smallest copper coinage of the realm. "I must try to borrow some from some of the chaps." He was aware that this was not a hopeful field. "But a fellow can't go without any money at all; even Mr. Bankes said he had ninepence-halfpenny." He remembered every word which Mr. Bankes had said. "Wheeler had sevenpence, and he promised to lend me twopence, but he's such a selfish beast I shouldn't be surprised if he's changed his mind. Besides, I ought to have more than twopence, or sevenpence, either. Perhaps he might lend me the lot; he's not a bad sort sometimes. Anyhow, I'll try." He tried. Slipping his arm through Wheeler's he drew him on one side. He approached the matter diplomatically. "I say, Wheeler, I know you're a trump." This sort of diplomacy was a mistake; Wheeler was at once on the alert. "What are you buttering me up for? Don't you think you're going to get anything out of me, because you just aren't; so now you know it." This was abrupt, not to say a little brutal, perhaps. Bailey perceived the error he had made; he changed his tone with singular presence of mind. "Look here, Wheeler, I want you to lend me that sevenpence of yours." "Then you'll have to want; I like your cheek!" "Lend me sixpence." "I won't lend you a sight of a farthing." "You promised to lend me twopence." "Oh, did I? Then I won't. I'm going to buy sevenpenn'orth of cocoanut candy, and perhaps I'll give you a bit of that, though I don't promise, mind; and it'll only be a little bit, anyhow." "But look here, I want it for something--I do, I really do, or else I wouldn't ask you for it." "What do you want it for?" asked Wheeler, struck by something in the other's tone. "Oh! for something particular." "What do you want it for? If you tell me, perhaps I'll lend it." This was a bait; but Bailey did not trust his friend so completely as he might have done. He suspected that if he told him what it really was wanted for, the story might be all over the playground in a minute; and it was possible that his friends might not view his intended flight from the heroic point of view from which it appeared to him. So he temporized. "If you'll lend me the sevenpence first, I'll tell you afterwards." "You catch me at it! What do I want to know what you want it for? I know I want it myself, and that's quite enough for me." Wheeler turned away; Bailey caught him by the arm. "Lend me the twopence which you promised." "I won't lend you a brass farthing."