My heart glowed as I thought of the blessings I should call down upon my head from him and his sorely tried family. I should be almost in the position of a walking miracle, bringing relief that must have been despaired of. The warm gratitude of that unfortunate family would follow me wherever I went, even if I went out of Upsidonia, as I fully intended to do, after having relieved Mr. Hobson of part of his burden. As I jumped out of bed I had already made up my mind. I would go and see him that very morning. When one has decided upon an errand of mercy one should lose no time in setting about it. CHAPTER XXI I got downstairs earlier than usual, and found Tom roaming about, with ten minutes or so on his hands before he went off to school. He greeted me affably, for we were now very good friends. I had taught him to bowl "googlies," which were unknown in Upsidonian cricket before my arrival, and he had got into the first eleven of his school on the strength of it. He was properly grateful to me, and had quite forgiven me for my white flannel suit. "I say, old boy," he said, "you've been going it! Biffed old Potter in the eye yesterday, didn't you?" "I didn't biff him in the eye, Tom," I replied. "I rather wish I had. How do you know about it?" "I read it in the paper. I can't show it to you because old Blother has taken it off into his pantry. But it said that Potter and you had had a scrap, and he said you were a fraud; and they don't think you come from the Highlands at all." "Where _do_ they think I come from?" "They don't know, but they're going to find out. They think it may have been you who committed the burglary." "The burglary! What burglary?" "Why, it was at Muffin's Rents, about a fortnight ago, just before you came. The people woke up and found a lot of family plate in the dining-room. A burglar had broken in in the night and left it there. A cheeky beggar he was too, for he had left them a bottle of Bass and half a game pie as well. I thought it was just the sort of sporting thing that you would have done." "My dear Tom, I assure you I didn't. Why did they think it might have been me?" "Well, they seemed to think you might have cleared out from some big house or other, because you were fed up with it, and got rid of your plate in that way." "What a ridiculous idea!" "Yes, it is rather. But I say, old boy, I wonder where you do come from." I stared at him. "Of course, I know you were a bit barmy before you came here, and don't remember anything about it," he went on to say. "It's a rummy thing altogether." It seemed to me a very rummy thing that Tom should have any idea that I was supposed to have been what he called barmy. "Who told you that?" I asked him. "Oh, I heard them talking about it." "Heard who talking about it?"