But, curiously enough, they were not thinking of quite the same indiscretion. There was a pause. "I would like a day to think, sir, and then I will let you know--about going home, I mean," said Hill, moving towards the door. * * * * * The next day Hill's place was vacant. The spectacled girl in green was, as usual, first with the news. Wedderburn and Miss Haysman were talking of a performance of _The Meistersingers_ when she came up to them. "Have you heard?" she said. "Heard what?" "There was cheating in the examination." "Cheating!" said Wedderburn, with his face suddenly hot. "How?" "That slide"-- "Moved? Never!" "It was. That slide that we weren't to move"-- "Nonsense!" said Wedderburn. "Why! How could they find out? Who do they say--?" "It was Mr. Hill." "_Hill!_" "Mr. Hill!" "Not--surely not the immaculate Hill?" said Wedderburn, recovering. "I don't believe it," said Miss Haysman. "How do you know?" "I _didn't_," said the girl in spectacles. "But I know it now for a fact. Mr. Hill went and confessed to Professor Bindon himself." "By Jove!" said Wedderburn. "Hill of all people. But I am always inclined to distrust these philanthropists-on-principle"-- "Are you quite sure?" said Miss Haysman, with a catch in her breath. "Quite. It's dreadful, isn't it? But, you know, what can you expect? His father is a cobbler." Then Miss Haysman astonished the girl in spectacles. "I don't care. I will not believe it," she said, flushing darkly under her warm-tinted skin. "I will not believe it until he has told me so himself--face to face. I would scarcely believe it then," and abruptly she turned her back on the girl in spectacles, and walked to her own place. "It's true, all the same," said the girl in spectacles, peering and smiling at Wedderburn. But Wedderburn did not answer her. She was indeed one of those people who seem destined to make unanswered remarks. THE END PRINTED BY MORRISON AND GIBB LIMITED, EDINBURGH Transcriber's note Words in italics were surrounded with _underscores_ and small capitals changed to all capitals. The original has been preserved, except for the following corrections, on page 11 "contion" changed to "condition" (in an extremely dishevelled condition.) 99 , changed to . (parables rather. Do you mean) 221 . added (but it hit _him_. Yes, ma'am) 257 " removed (was his silly name for me.) 259 beginning double quotes added and nested double quotes changed to single quotes ("'Have you read it?' ... 'The bravest and the best,' said I again). Additional: the book mentioned on page 216 "Smiles' Elp Yourself" is an existing book "Self help; with illustrations of conduct and perseverance" by Samuel Smiles, to be found on Project Gutenberg as Ebook number 935. End of Project Gutenberg's The Plattner Story and Others, by H. G. Wells