"I hope he isn't, captain. I should be inexpressibly sorry if he were and I had to report him for it. You know he is in my company." "If you find him Frenching I want you to report him," savagely rejoined Captain Blunt. "Don't have any false notions on that subject, Mr. Drake." "That is a matter of great concern to me, captain," replied Robert in tones of anxiety. "I'd almost prefer to bilge than to report your son for a serious matter. He is a splendid fellow; everybody likes him and admires him. But he is undoubtedly reckless and careless. The great trouble to me is that he won't let me speak to him except officially. He is impatient of advice and won't listen to any from me." "Mr. Drake, I desire and expect you to report him when you ought to do so. Don't worry about that." Helen, growing impatient at this long conversation, said suddenly, "Robert, I made some fudge this morning; won't you come back in the pantry with me and help me bring it out?" As soon as they were out of hearing, she said in a low voice: "Harry is up-stairs again, and he can't come down to get away without father seeing him. What shall I do? Harry is terribly afraid of his father." "The only advice I can give you, Helen, is to tell your father he is there. You can't cover up his tracks, and I don't know anybody except his father who can influence him." This advice to Helen seemed too explosive, and she felt she could devise some way herself to protect Harry, and she must make him feel that he must never, never do it again. So she remained silent. When they returned to the drawing-room Robert felt ill at ease. Mrs. Blunt, always sympathetically friendly to him, engaged him in talk; but after a few minutes Robert got up to take his leave, accompanied by Stonewell. "Weren't you in a bit of a rush, Bob?" inquired Stonewell, glancing keenly at his roommate. "Perhaps," replied Robert uncomfortably. "Perhaps you found young Blunt eating pie in the pantry," remarked Stonewell. "Not that close, Stone, but I guess he was in the house. Now what am I to do? I can just see that before long I'll be in a fix where I'll have to report young Blunt for a bilging offense, the son of the man that has every claim to my gratitude--or else I'll have to go back on the strongest principles I possess. What am I to do, Stone?" "That's a hard problem; we'll think about it, and perhaps we may be able to intimidate Blunt. Perhaps I may find a means to influence him. By the way, did you know that the first class has late liberty to-night? Penfield is going to play Richard the Third at the Colonial Theatre. It's a great opportunity. I went to the commandant, and our class is going to have eleven-thirty liberty. It's Penfield's best play; and I already have our tickets. Aren't you pleased, Bob?"