"Just a moment, Mr. Stonewell," called out the commandant, but the former, paying no attention to this order, hurriedly left the office. Commander Dalton looked undecided. "I don't understand this at all. Mr. Stonewell should not have left at this time." "I think you had better let him go, Dalton; he is entitled to present a defense if he has one," observed Captain Blunt. "Of course, but he had the opportunity right here; Blunt, do you wish to question your son?" "After Mr. Stonewell returns I would like a chance to talk privately with Harry and with Mr. Drake." "Father," started Harry Blunt, appealingly, "I will admit that----" "Keep quiet, will you?" interrupted his father fiercely. "Dalton, I don't want my boy to say a word. Look at him; he is entirely unstrung, and in his condition I fear he may be tempted to untruth. Bad as things are, I must save him from that if I can." "Father," pleaded Harry, imploringly, "let me speak--I deny that----" "Harry, don't say a word. There is no hurry about this; Dalton, have you any objection to my having a private talk now with my son?" "None at all, Captain Blunt. Take him into this rear office." When the captain passed Robert on his way to the rear office, he said to him sadly: "Mr. Drake, don't hesitate to tell the facts; you have proved you will not tell an untruth, that you will resign sooner than do so. But don't spoil your whole career by trying to defend one so unworthy as my son has proved to be. And if you have any notion, as implied by Mr. Stonewell's words, that you are under obligations to me, I assure you there is no such debt; and even if you feel that there is one, I freely absolve you from it. Come, Mr. Drake, have you seen Harry in that disguise? Was he the one guilty of that shameful insult to the superintendent and commandant? Did you detect a person in that disguise in the act of stealing an examination last night? These are now my questions, Mr. Drake, not the commandant's; I beg of you to answer them frankly." "Thank you, Captain Blunt," replied Robert, huskily; "but I have resigned, and I request to be excused from answering questions." Captain Blunt passed out of the room with his son. Commander Beckwith now excused himself for a few minutes, and there remained in the room only Robert, Grice and the commandant. The latter busied himself writing, with never a glance at Robert. Old Grice rolled his eyes, fearfully apprehending some disaster to himself.