The day appointed for the Barring Out at length arrived; and Archer, assembling the confederates, informed them, that all was prepared for carrying their design into execution; that he now depended for success upon their punctuality and courage. He had, within the last two hours, got all their bars ready to fasten the doors and window shutters of the schoolroom; he had, with the assistance of two of the day scholars who were of the party, sent into the town for provisions, at his own expense, which would make a handsome supper for that night; he had also negotiated with some cousins of his, who lived in the town, for a constant supply in future. “Bless me,” exclaimed Archer, suddenly stopping in this narration of his services, “there’s one thing, after all, I’ve forgot, we shall be undone without it. Fisher, pray did you ever buy the candles for the playhouse?” “No, to be sure,” replied Fisher, extremely frightened; “you know you don’t want candles for the playhouse now.” “Not for the playhouse, but for the Barring Out. We shall be in the dark, man. You must run this minute, run.” “For candles?” said Fisher, confused; “how many?—what sort?” “Stupidity!” exclaimed Archer, “you are a pretty fellow at a dead lift! Lend me a pencil and a bit of paper, do; I’ll write down what I want myself! Well, what are you fumbling for?” “For money!” said Fisher, colouring. “Money, man! Didn’t I give you half a crown the other day?” “Yes,” replied Fisher, stammering; “but I wasn’t sure that that might be enough.” “Enough! yes, to be sure it will. I don’t know what you are _at_.” “Nothing, nothing,” said Fisher, “here, write upon this, then,” said Fisher, putting a piece of paper into Archer’s hand, upon which Archer wrote his orders. “Away, away!” cried he. Away went Fisher. He returned; but not until a considerable time afterwards. They were at supper when he returned. “Fisher always comes in at supper-time,” observed one of the Greybeards, carelessly. “Well, and would you have him come in _after_ supper-time?” said Townsend, who always supplied his party with ready _wit_. “I’ve got the candles,” whispered Fisher as he passed by Archer to his place. “And the tinder-box?” said Archer. “Yes; I got back from my Aunt Barbara under pretence that I must study for repetition day an hour later to-night. So I got leave. Was not that clever?” A dunce always thinks it clever to cheat even by _sober lies_. How Mr. Fisher procured the candles and the tinder box without money, and without credit, we shall discover further on.