"_Very_ good," said Dr Rowlands, now thoroughly angry; "you will hear of this to-morrow," and he walked away with a heavy step, stopping at the lavatory door to restore the tin-basin to its proper place, and then mounting to the studies. Standing in the passage into which the studies opened, he knocked at one of the doors, and told a boy to summon all their occupants at once to the library. Meanwhile the dormitory boys were aghast, and as soon as they heard the Doctor's retreating footsteps, began flocking in the dark to Number 7, not daring to relight their candles. "Good gracious!" said Attlay, "only to think of Rowley appearing! How could he have twigged?" "He must have seen our lights in the window as he came home," said Eric. "I say, what a row that tin-basin dodge of yours made! What a rage the Doctor will be in to-morrow!" "Won't you just catch it!" said Barker to Duncan, but intending the remark for Eric. "Just like your mean chaff," retorted Duncan. "But I say, Williams," he continued, laughing, "you _did_ look so funny in the whiskers." At this juncture they heard all the study-boys running downstairs to the library, and, lost in conjecture, retired to their different rooms. "What do you think he'll do to us?" asked Eric. "I don't know," said Duncan uneasily; "flog us for one thing, that's certain. I'm so sorry about that basin, Eric; but it's no good fretting. We've had our cake, and now we must pay for it, that's all." Eric's cogitations began to be unpleasant, when the door opened, and somebody stole noiselessly in. "Who's there?" "Upton. I've come to have a chat. The Doctor's like a turkey-cock at the sight of a red handkerchief. Never saw him in such a rage." "Why, what's he been saying?" asked Eric, as Upton came and took a seat on his bed. "Oh! he's been rowing us like six o'clock," said Upton, "about `moral responsibility,' `abetting the follies of children,' `forgetting our position in the school,' and I don't know what all; and he ended by asking who'd been in the dormitories. Of course, I confessed the soft impeachment, whereon he snorted, `Ha! I suspected so. Very well, sir, you don't know how to use a study; you shall be deprived of it till the end of term.'" "Did he really, Horace?" said Eric. "And it's all my doing that you've got into the scrape. Do forgive me." "Bosh! My dear fellow," said Upton, "it's twice as much my fault as yours; and, after all, it was only a bit of fun. It's rather a bore losing the study, certainly; but never mind, we shall see all the more of each other. Good-night; I must be off." Next morning, prayers were no sooner over than Dr Rowlands said to the boys, "Stop! I have a word to say to you."