"Now comes the point: how did you get out?" "I can't say anything about it, sir, except that I found the door open towards morning, and I walked out." "You must have been dreaming, and fancied it," said the master. "No, sir, I was awake. The door was open, and I went out." "Is that the best tale you have got to tell?" "It is all I can tell, sir. I did get out that way." "You may go home for the present," said Mr. Wilberforce, in anger. "Are you satisfied?" asked Mr. Prattleton, as Arkell retired. "I am satisfied that he is innocent as to the register; but not as to how he escaped from the church. Allowing it to be as he says--and I have always found him so strictly truthful--that he found the door open in the middle of the night, how did it come open? Who opened it? For what purpose?" "It is an incomprehensible affair altogether," said the Rev. Mr. Prattleton. "Let us sit down and talk it over." As Arkell left the room, Lewis, senior, appeared at the opposite door, propelling forth the fire-tongs, a note held between them. "This is for you," cried he, rudely, to Arkell, who took the note. Lewis flung the tongs back in their place. "My hands shouldn't soil themselves by touching yours," said he. When Arkell got out, he opened the letter under a gas-lamp, and read it as well as he could for the blots. The penmanship was Lewis, junior's. "Mr. ARKELL,--Has you have chozen to peech to the master, like a retch has you ar, we give you notise that from this nite you will find the skool has hot has the Inphernal Regeons, a deal to hot for you. And my brother don't care a phether for the oisting he is to get, for he'll serve you worce. And if you show this dockiment to any sole, you'l be a dowble-died sneek, and we will thresh your life out of you, and then duck you in the rivor." Henry Arkell tore the paper to bits, and ran home, laughing at the spelling. But it was a very fair specimen of the orthography of Westerbury collegiate school. CHAPTER IV. ASSIZE SATURDAY. To attempt to describe the state of Mr. Fauntleroy would be a vain effort. It was the practice of that respected solicitor never to advance a fraction of money out of his pocket for any mortal client, unless the repayment was as safe and sure as the Bank of England. He had deemed the return so in the case of Mrs. Carr, and had really advanced a good bit of money; and now there was no marriage recorded in the register.