"'We knew nothing about _Jerry's Gazette_ ourselves, or that there was such a pub--pub--publication, or that the transaction had appeared in it; and could not imagine why the school began to fall off. Some of the pupils were taken away, _at once_, some at Lady-day; and by Midsummer nearly every one had left. We used to lie awake night after night, grieving and wondering what could be the matter, searching in vain for any cause of offence, given unwittingly to the boys or their parents. Often and often we got up in the morning to go about our day's work, never having closed our eyes. At last, a gentleman, whose son had been one of the first renewed--removed, told Pyefinch the truth: that he had appeared in _Jerry's Gazette_. The fathers who subscribed to _Jerry's Gazette_ had seen it for themselves; and they informed the others.'" "The devil take _Jerry's Gazette_," interrupted Tod, deliberately. "This reads like an episode of the Secret Inquisition, sir, in the days of the French Revolution." "It reads like a thing that an honest Englishman's ears ought to redden to hear of," answered the Squire, as he put the lamp nearer, for his outstretched arms were getting cramped. "'Pyefinch went round to every one of the boy's fathers. Some would not see him, some not hear him; but to those who did, he imported--imparted--the whole circumstances; showing how it was that he had had to borrow the money (or rather to re-borrow it, but I have not time in this letter to go so far into detail), and that it could not by any possibility injure the boys or touch their interests. Most of them, he said, were very kind and sympathizing, so far as words went, saying that in this case _Jerry's Gazette_ appeared to have been the means of inflicting a cruel wrong; but they would not agree to replace their sons with us. They either declined point-blank, or said they'd consider of it; but you see the greater portion of the boys were already placed at other schools. All of them told Pyefinch one thing--that they were thoroughly satisfied with his treatment in every respect, and but for this interruption would probably have left their sons with him as long as they wanted intrusion--instruction. The long and short of it was this, my dear friends: they did not choose to have their sons educated by a man who was looked upon in the commercial world as next door to a bankrupt. One of them delicately hinted as much, and said Mr. Blair must be aware that he was liable to have his house topped--stripped--at any moment under the bill of sale. We said to ourselves that evening, as Pyefinch and I talked together, that we might have removed boys of our own from a school under the same circumstances.'" "That's true enough," murmured Mrs. Todhetley.