"Lie low, you chaps," whispered Percy. "Don't let them know you're here to begin with. Hullo! who's that?" "Let me in!" cried Gamble, outside. "Can't; we're busy," replied Lickford. "We've got a committee meeting, and you'd better cut," cried Percy. "Do you hear?" replied the ambassador; "let me in." "There's plenty of room in your own study, ain't there? Why don't you go there? We don't want you here." "Cut your sticks, and learn your rotten Modern lessons," shouted Wally, who began to be tired of being a listener. Luckily, Cottle knocked over one of the chairs at this juncture, which served to conceal the voice of the speaker from the ears outside. "All right," said Gamble; "you'll catch it. Clapperton sent me to tell you if you don't come to his room directly, he'll come and fetch you himself. There!" "Good evening," cried Ramshaw. "Our love to them all at home." D'Arcy, meanwhile, had mounted the bed, and by means of a pea-shooter materially assisted in the departure of the discomfited envoy. "Now we're getting livery," said Wally, proceeding to load his squirt out of the jug. "Better light the candle, one of you, and have some light on the subject." A terrible discovery ensued. Neither candle nor matches could be found! In a quarter of an hour daylight would depart, and after that--well, the prospect was not brilliant, at any rate. However, there was no time to do anything but recriminate, which the company industriously did until the sentinel again gave the signal to stand by. "Look here," said Percy, "we'd better keep him jawing as long as he'll stand it, and not let fly till he begins to get violent--eh?" "All serene," said Wally; "that won't be long." "No; and he'll bring the whole kit of prefects with him. What a high old time there'll be!" chuckled D'Arcy. "There's one lucky thing," said Cash. "Forder and his dame have gone out for the evening; so we shan't hurt _their_ feelings." "Look out--it's Clapperton," whispered the sentinel. Clapperton tried the door, and on finding it fast, gave it a kick. "Hello! who's there?" "Open the door; let me in!" "Who is it? that young cad Gamble again?" cried Percy, with a wink; the company generally. "No. Do you hear? Let me in!" "Say what your name is. How do we know you aren't a Classic cad? Oh! ow!" This last interjection was in answer to a fraternal kick from behind. "You know who I am," replied Clapperton. "Let me in!" "Very sorry, Corder, we can't let you in. Clapperton says we're to cut you, because you played a jolly sight too well last week." "It's not Corder, it's me--Clapperton." "Go on! no larks, whoever you are. Clapperton's got something better to do than go to tea-parties in fags' rooms. Go and tell that to the Clap-- Oh! ow! I mean, try it on next door!" "I tell you what," said Clapperton, whose temper, none of the best, was rapidly evaporating, "if you young cads don't open the door instantly, I'll break it open."