"Well, I haven't done so, for a very good reason, as I tell you. But I'm sorry for him. I do believe he can't see that he's being fleeced. He made me promise not to utter a word of it to the Doctor, so I really don't know how to help him." "It's my impression he's good reason to be afraid of the Doctor just now," said Wraysford. "That Nightingale business has yet to be cleared up." The two friends pursued this disagreeable topic no farther, but agreed, for all Loman wasn't a nice boy, and for all they had neither of them much cause to love him, they would see the next day if they could not do something to help him in his difficulty. Meanwhile they gave themselves over to the pure and refined enjoyment of the "Vocal, Instrumental, and Dramatic Entertainment." At seven that evening, after tea, the Fourth Junior room became a centre of attraction to all Saint Dominic's. Fellows from the Sixth and Fifth, always ready for novelty in the way of amusement, looked in to see the sport. The Fourth Senior grandly condescended to witness the vulgar exploits of their juniors, and the other classes were most of them represented by one or more spectators. The programme had been carefully got up. Stephen took the chair solemnly at the appointed hour, and with a great deal of stammering announced that the proceedings were now about to commence, and then sat down. An awful pause ensued. At first it was borne with interest, then with impatience; then, when Stephen began to whisper to Paul, and Paul began to signal to Bramble, and Bramble gesticulated in dumb show at Padger, and all four whispered together, and finally looked very gravely in an opposite direction to the audience, then they began to be amused. "Oh," said Stephen, very red, turning round abruptly after this awkward pause had continued for a minute or two--"oh, that was wrong; he doesn't begin, and the other fellow's away. Look here, Bramble, do your thing now." "No, I can't," whispered Bramble in an audible voice. "I've forgotten the first line." "Something about a kid asleep," suggested Padger, also audibly. "Oh, yes," said Bramble, starting up and blushing very red as he began. "`Lines on Seeing my Wife and Two Children Asleep'--Hood." This modest announcement of his subject was overwhelming in itself, and was greeted with such yells of laughter that the poor elocutionist found it utterly impossible to go on. He tried once or twice, but never got beyond the first half line. "And has the earth--" and here he stuck, but in answer to the cheers began again, looking round for Padger to help. "And has the earth--(Go it, Padger, give a fellow a leg up, can't you?)" "I can't find the place," said Padger, very hot and flurried, and whipping over the pages of a book with his moist thumb.