He sought for aid. The school porter fetched the bursar, who told him that he would be in Seymour’s house, and who coldly pointed out the way to him with a pencil. Here another porter had shown him to a vacant study. On the way there he had, of course, passed any number of boys. Not one solitary soul amongst them, from the oldest to the youngest, had paid the slightest attention to him. He might have been invisible. * * * * * Two hours later he had seen his father and he understood. “The secretary,” Dr Roe had told him, “is a boy called Smythe.” He sought Smythe out. Smythe was sitting in his study hidden behind a book, and his first impression when, having said “Come in,” he peered over the top of his volume to see who came, was that a stray pig was nosing into the room, and he rose with a sweeping gesture intending to drive it out. But as seconds passed he was held spellbound. Behind the snout, which was all he had first seen, and to either side of it, appeared two little pig-like eyes. He also perceived two pouting lips. Finally, when the head came properly into view around the door, Smythe became alarmed. “_Come in!_” he commanded angrily. “Come in, man!” The visitor entered slowly, with short steps, and when he was approximately in the centre of the room he halted. “I’m Roe,” he observed. Smythe withstood the shock with the greatest gallantry. All the same, he did not extend his hand in a warm welcome. He just looked. “I understand,” observed the other, “that I am to be captain of football here, and that _you_ are secretary.” He had pointed at Smythe accusingly and now he beamed. Smythe hastened to correct him. “A few days ago I _was_,” said he; “but I have just completed my duties, and now I have resigned. So far as I know there is _no_ footer secretary in this school at present.” “No secretary! But why not?” “Because,” said Smythe logically enough, “there is no football.” “But surely——” said the other. “Why ... I’m _captain_ of football.” “I believe you are,” responded Smythe; “but my last duty was to scratch the whole of our fixtures for the season.” Roe was visibly shaken. “Of course,” added Smythe presently, “it’s a rotten position for you.” “No, no,” replied the new boy. “_I_ don’t mind a bit. We must arrange some more fixtures now that _I’ve_ come.” For a moment Smythe stared at him. Then he turned, reached for his book, sat down and commenced to read. “I must make some notices out,” said Roe. “You must introduce me to the team.” He waited hopefully for an answer. Smythe merely turned over a page. “Of course,” continued Roe, “when I first heard about this I was only told that circumstances had arisen which made it desirable that I should leave Wilton.” Smythe looked up. “Well, I can tell you now,” said he, “that the circumstances which have arisen make it very desirable that you should go back to Wilton as speedily as you came.”