"I shan't. And if you try to escape me I'll follow you." "Oh, why can't you go away?" I grumbled with something like a sob. "Go away. Go away." But Doe persisted. In full view of the prefects he chatted gaily to me. Once, as Radley passed, he slipped his arm into mine. And when the master was out of hearing he asked: "I s'pose Radley knows you're in Coventry?" "Of course. Everybody does." "Do you think he saw I had my arm in yours?" "I should think so. You made it pretty obvious." "I wonder what he thought." All this time the skin on my forehead seemed to tighten and my cheeks to tingle with warmth. Towards evening my temples began to beat regularly. At these symptoms I was rather thrilled than otherwise, for I felt there was a distinct prospect of my turning the tables on everybody by dying. At preparation the boys, with that lust to punish to which a crowd is always susceptible, slid along the form to get as far from me as possible and to leave plenty of room for myself and my contamination. In the dormitory no one spoke to me, but as I was getting into my pyjamas one of the dormitory prefects burst in and addressed a senior boy: "I say, talking about this row of Rupert Ray's, isn't the Gray Doe going to catch it to-morrow, by jove?" In my anxiety about Doe I forgot that I was banned. "What's he going to get?" My voice sounded husky and strange. The boys didn't answer me or show that they had heard. They ostentatiously proceeded with their conversation. Even Pennybet had his back turned. I flung myself into my bed in a way that nearly broke the springs, and, pulling the clothes furiously over my head, left my bare feet showing, at which several boys laughed contemptuously. Oh, the horrid activity of my wide-awake brain! I couldn't sleep, and even found difficulty in keeping my eyes shut. Once, as I raised my weary lids, I found that the lights had gone out since I last opened my eyes. And my headache, which had spread to the back of my neck, was getting but little relief from my frequent changes of position. Oh, the horrible conglomeration of ideas that crowded my mind! Recent scenes and conversations entangled themselves in one another. Ray did it--Ray did it--my darling little son--good-bye and God bless you--there has been no bias, prejudice, or bigotry, but heaps of love from your devoted and affectionate mother--Ray did it--it's good-bye to him, I suppose--good-bye and God bless you-- "_Good-night, Ray_."