Loman's face at that moment was anything but encouraging. Somehow, this roundabout way of the poet's seemed particularly aggravating to him, for he turned quite pale with rage, and, seizing the unhappy bard by the throat, said, with an oath, "What do you mean, you miserable beast? What about the paper?" "Oh!" said Simon, not at all put about by this rough handling--"why, don't you know? _we_ know who took it, we do; but we're all going to--" But at this point Simon's speech was interrupted, for the very good reason that Loman's grip on his throat became so very tight that the wretched poet nearly turned black in the face. With another oath the Sixth Form boy exclaimed, "Who took it?" "Why--don't you know?--oh!--oh, I say, mind my throat!--haven't you heard?--why, Greenfield senior, you know!" Loman let go his man suddenly and stared at him. "Greenfield senior?" he exclaimed in amazement. "Yes; would you have thought it? None of us would--we're all going to hush it up, you know, honour bright we are." "Who told you he took it?" "Why, you know, I saw him;" and here Simon giggled jubilantly, to mark what astonishment his disclosure was causing. "_You_ saw him take it?" asked Loman, astounded. "Yes; that is, I saw him coming out of the Doctor's study with it." "You did?" "Yes; that is, of course he must have had it; and he says so himself." "What, Greenfield says he took the paper?" exclaimed Loman, in utter astonishment. "Yes; that is, he doesn't say he didn't; and all the fellows are going to cut him dead, but we mean to hush it up if we can." "Hush yourself up, that's what you'd better do," said Loman, turning his back unceremoniously on his informant, and proceeding, full of this strange news, on his solitary walk. What was in his mind as he went along I cannot tell you. I fancy it was hardly sorrow at the thought that a schoolfellow could stoop to a mean, dishonest action, nor, I think, was it indignation on Wraysford's or his own account. Indeed, the few boys who passed Loman that afternoon were struck with the cheerfulness of his appearance. Considering he had been miserably beaten in the scholarship examination, this show of satisfaction was all the more remarkable. "The fellow seems quite proud of himself," said Callonby to Wren as they passed him. "He's the only fellow who is, if that's so," said Wren. Loman stopped and spoke to them as they came up. "Hullo! you fellows," said he, in as free and easy a manner as one fellow can assume to others who he knows dislike him, "I wanted to see you. Which way are you going?--back to the school?" "Wren and I are going a stroll together," said Callonby, coldly; "good-bye." "Half a minute," said Loman. "I suppose you heard the results of the Nightingale read out." "Considering I was sitting on the same form with you when they were, I suppose I did," said Wren.