"I'm awfully sorry, I say, Mrs Stratton," said the culprit, as the basket and its contents fell to the ground. "So am I," said Mrs Stratton. "There's two bunches out of three not bashed," said Percy, on his knees picking up the ruin. "I say, Mrs Stratton, if you'd let me pay for the other I can give you twopence a week, beginning next week. I'd rather, you know." Mrs Stratton laughed pleasantly. It was always a satisfaction, she told her husband, to come into collision with a junior. He always got the best of it. "No, thank you, Wheatfield. But I tell you what you must do." "All serene, Mrs Stratton," said Percy submissively, preparing himself for a hundred lines at least. "One of the bunches is damaged. You must take it and get your friends to help you eat it. Good-bye." On the whole, therefore, the spread provided for Mr Rollitt was a respectable one, and not likely to do discredit to his entertainers. He was installed in the place of honour in the fender, Wally occupying the seat in the passage, the others ranging themselves on either side of the board. They watched their guest's eye somewhat anxiously, to detect in it any signs of predilection for any particular dish. But he, poor man, was too bewildered by the novel experience he was undergoing to betray any symptoms of appetite. "What'll you have?" said Percy, presently. "Well, if you've got a bit of bread and cheese and a drop of something, I don't mind, thank you kindly." This was rather a damper; but Wally was equal to the emergency. "Have an Abernethy--that's what Rollitt's been living on. You'll like it. We keep a stock in our shop." "Only a penny each," said Ramshaw, explanatorily. "Better have some jam with it," said Cottle. "Like some tea?" inquired D'Arcy, who had charge of the pot, beginning to fill up a mug the size of the slop-basin with the matron's "extra special." "The cake's not so bad--there's several lumps not a bit stale," said Ashby. "If you like cocoa-nut," said Fisher minor, "my brother's lent us one, and I'll cut you a chunk." "And there's some grapes for you, when you're ready," said Percy, proudly; "a present from a lady." The awkward thing was that, in their eagerness to see their guest eat, none of the juniors took anything. They continued to pile up the good man's plate till he didn't know where to begin, and fairly bewildered him by each commending the excellence of his own particular delicacy "Thank'ee, young gents. I ain't much of a eater when I'm away from home; no more ain't my Alf. But I'll take a snack, anyhow." Whereupon, to their delight, he commenced an onslaught on the viands before him, every morsel he ate being followed by eighteen admiring eyes into his mouth. He made short work of the Abernethys and cake, tossed off the tea as if it were a thimbleful, jerked down the hunk of cocoa- nut, gulped the grapes, and generally gave the spectators an admirable and comprehensive performance.