"Not to-day," was the quiet answer. "You shall have it in a day or two. You can say that you have been promised that it shall be returned." "But what do you want to do with it for a day or two?" asked Brown, with something of curiosity. And the man looked him in the face, and replied, with a quiet smile-- "Do? Oh, nothing! I only think that it may be as well if I have this banknote photographed. You can have it after that, and we will share the profits." Then Brown laughed, and clapped him on the back. "You are a smart fellow!" he cried. And the man answered. "There are some people living who will find that out to their cost one of these fine days!" CHAPTER XIX THE LAME HORSE ONCE MORE If Elgert and Dobson and the two juniors who had overheard that conversation in Brown's cake-shop were the four most excited concerning the five-pound note which had been stolen from Mr. Delermain, they were not the only ones in Marlthorpe College who were interested in the matter. From first to last the whole school could do nothing but discuss the mysterious business; and, whatever else it did, the attempt to put the guilt upon Ralph's shoulders resulted in his being all the more firmly established in the favour of most of the boys. Even those who had not liked him were more friendly now; for there was something so shameful and wicked in trying to get him accused of that which it had been proved he was innocent of, that they could not but feel sympathy for him. Then the story of his brave deed in rescuing Elgert was strongly in his favour. After all, boys at heart love bravery. But of all there, Warren and Ralph himself pondered most. Their friendship was quite restored, and together they talked and discussed, and wondered who it could possibly be who would want to harm Ralph. And poor Charlton! Ah, how miserable he was now! He had his own weight of sorrow, and it was very, very heavy to bear; and after what Ralph had said he could never hope that they would be friends again. "I suppose that I am to blame," he said. "Perhaps I took things too much to heart. I feel that I am never to have friends. I--I don't care! Rexworth might give me another chance; but if he won't--if he is so taken up with Warren--he can do as he likes. I don't care!" Poor Charlton! He did care, for all his talk--care very much. He was lonely and sad; but he did not stop to think that Ralph had already given him chances, and that it was his own fault that he had not taken them. When we are miserable we are also apt to be unjust, and to put the blame for our own actions upon other people's shoulders. And how interested and indignant, and yet withal delighted, were the St. Clives when they heard of what had happened.