He was quite surprised when the bell rang--the morning seemed to have slipped away, and he put his books away and went, Charlton with him, into the playground. "I don't know how I should have got on if you had not helped me last night, and I am very much obliged to you," he said. And the other boy smiled. It was very nice to hear any one say that he had been of use to them. The pair sauntered across the playground, and presently they saw that Horace Elgert and some of his chums were coming towards them, and Ralph stopped, a strange, firm look on his face, and awaited his approach. Up the others came, and Elgert, hands in pockets, addressed him-- "I want a word with you. You know what we have got to do. You cheeked me last night, and you have got either to thrash me or be thrashed." Elgert spoke very confidently, for, as Warren had feared, he had heard that it was unlikely that Ralph would fight him. "It is this, then," replied Ralph quietly. "You mean that we have got to fight?" Elgert looked round and laughed. A whole lot of the boys had come up, seeing them standing there, and knowing what they would be talking about. "Hear him!" he said. "How innocent! He cheeks me last night, and then asks if I mean we have got to fight! Yes, I do mean it! After afternoon school, the other side of the playing-field; and make up your mind for a thrashing!" "I have not the slightest wish to fight you. I was going to say that I had not any intention of fighting you," said Ralph. And some of the boys groaned, and muttered "Coward!" "I don't care whether you have wish or intention," replied Elgert, in truculent tones. "I have both wish and intention of thrashing you, and so you have got to put up with it, and afterwards beg my pardon. Do you hear that?" "I hear," was the quiet reply. And Ralph's eyes sparkled slightly. "Very well. This afternoon, the other side of the playing-field; and you mind that you are there, for it will be worse for you if I have to come and find you! That is all." And round swung Elgert on his heel and walked off, leaving Ralph standing unmoved by his angry, insulting tones. But if Ralph was unmoved, his companions in the Fourth were not, and Warren said, almost entreatingly, as he caught hold of Ralph's arm-- "Look here, Rexworth, you must fight him after that! It is no good talking, you must fight him!" A statement which was received with approval by all the others there. "Well," said Ralph, "if I must, I must. I don't want to, though." "But for the honour of the class you must, or we shall never hear the last of it from them. You will meet him where he said?" "Not I!" laughed Ralph. "If I must fight, I must; but I am not going to be ordered about by him; and I am not going to do anything which makes it look as though I were a party to the fight. If he wants me, he must come and find me, as he threatened to do. There, we will say no more about it now."