'Dear me,' said Mellish. 'Now I never knew that before, Blaize. Remarkable. But this ought to be seen to. In the meantime, I had better ask the Headmaster to give out that the Museum is closed until further notice, I think.' And closed the Museum has been ever since. That further notice has never been given. And yet nobody seems to feel as if an essential part of their life had ceased to be, so to speak. Curious. Bradshaw, after a short explanation, was allowed to go away without a stain--that is to say, without any additional stain--on his character. We left the authorities discussing the matter, and went downstairs. 'Sixpence isn't enough,' I said, 'take this penny. It's all I've got. You shall have the sixpence on Saturday.' 'Thanks,' said Bradshaw.' Was the Thucydides paper pretty warm?' 'Warmish. But, I say, didn't you get a beastly shock when you locked the door?' 'I did the week before last, the first time I ever went to the place. This time I was more or less prepared for it. Blaize seems to think that paper dodge a special invention of his own. He'll be taking out a patent for it one of these days. Why, every kid knows that paper doesn't conduct electricity.' 'I didn't,' I said honestly. 'You don't know much,' said Bradshaw, with equal honesty. 'I don't,' I replied. 'Bradshaw, you're a great man, but you missed the best part of it all.' 'What, the Thucydides paper?' asked he with a grin. 'No, you missed seeing Gerard jump quite six feet.' Bradshaw's face expressed keen disappointment. 'No, did he really? Oh, I say, I wish I'd seen it.' The moral of which is that the wicked do not always prosper. If Bradshaw had not been in the Museum, he might have seen Gerard jump six feet, which would have made him happy for weeks. On second thoughts, though, that does not work out quite right, for if Bradshaw had not been in the Museum, Gerard would not have jumped at all. No, better put it this way. I was virtuous, and I had the pleasure of witnessing the sight I have referred to. But then there was the Thucydides paper, which Bradshaw missed but which I did not. No. On consideration, the moral of this story shall be withdrawn and submitted to a committee of experts. Perhaps they will be able to say what it is. [7] THE BABE AND THE DRAGON The annual inter-house football cup at St Austin's lay between Dacre's, who were the holders, and Merevale's, who had been runner-up in the previous year, and had won it altogether three times out of the last five. The cup was something of a tradition in Merevale's, but of late Dacre's had become serious rivals, and, as has been said before, were the present holders.