"Simply terrific! You see, the kennels are out of bounds; besides which, we've all been warned we're to have nothing to do with Blake. The Head said he was a rascal, and any fellow who went to his place would do so at the risk of expulsion. I was an idiot to let myself get mixed up in such a business, but Roper, and Graveson, and several others had dogs, and I was so taken with that black spaniel! I thought and schemed how I could find a way out of it. I didn't dare to write home to the Mater: if she's well enough to read her own letters, she'd be in quite a nervous state of mind about it; and if she's ill, then the governor will open them all for her, and you know what he'd say!" "It would be as bad as when I bought Firefly," replied Honor. "He was most fearfully angry that time." "And he'd be harder on me than on you, because you're a girl. He couldn't thrash you, however much he might scold you. I've had a little experience of his hunting-crop before, and it's not exactly pleasant." "Yes, I remember--when you took the cartridges out of his gun cupboard." "Well, I say, Honor, I mustn't stay here too long; I've got to be back before anyone's about the place, you know." "Did you get off all right?" "Oh, yes! I dropped out of the dormitory window on to a piece of roof near, and let myself down by the spout. It was quite simple." "How about climbing up again?" "Easy as A B C." "Well, here's the pound, at any rate." "Thanks immensely! How is it you're so flush of cash?" "I'm not. I've hardly any of my pocket-money left. This is my Jubilee sovereign." "Not the one Uncle Murtagh gave you?" "Yes." "Oh, Honor, I am sorry! I scarcely like to take it." "Don't be absurd! You must!" "But you had the thing as a locket, and vowed you'd never part with it." "It can't be helped. Vows are sometimes better broken. Uncle Murtagh told me to keep it until I happened to want it very badly, and I'm sure we need it to-day." "Well, I do, at any rate, though it seems rather a swindle to commandeer your particular, pet treasure. I'll have to borrow it now, I'm afraid; but I'll get you another some time, I promise you faithfully." "I don't care in the least, so long as you get out of this scrape," protested Honor. The sun was already so high that its bright rays, reflected in a little pool near their feet, warned the pair that it was no longer safe to delay their parting. "It's a quarter to six!" exclaimed Dermot, looking at his watch. "I must absolutely fly. I'll run all the way to Dunscar. I hope you'll get back quite safely into the College. You were a perfect trump to come. Good-bye; I'm off!"