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The Triple Alliance

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leader was saying. "I was rather chummy with him when we were in the Fifth, and he was all right then, but now he seems to be running to seed as fast as he can; and I believe it's a great deal that fellow Fletcher.--Hullo, youngster! what d'you want?" "I was told you wanted to see me," said Diggory nervously. "Oh yes. You were at The Birches, that school near Chatford, weren't you? Well, I want to hear about that love affair my young brother had with the old chap's daughter.--It was an awful joke," added the speaker, addressing his companions. "He was about fourteen, and she's a grown-up woman; and he was awfully gone, I can tell you.--How did he pop the question?" "He wrote," answered Diggory. "We tossed up whether he should do that or speak." There was a burst of laughter. "Did you see the letter?" "Yes." "What did he say?" "I can't tell you." "Why not? don't you remember?" "Yes; but he only showed me the letter on condition I wouldn't ever tell any one what was in it." "Oh, that's all rot! you can tell me; I'm his brother. Come, out with it." It was an awful thing to beard the lion in his den--for a new boy to face so great a personage as the football captain, and refuse point-blank to do as he was told. Diggory shifted uneasily from one foot to another, and then glancing up he became aware of the fact that Allingford was gazing at him across the table with a curious expression, which somehow gave him fresh encouragement to persist in his refusal to disclose the contents of his former friend's love-letter. "I can't tell you," he repeated; "it was a promise, you know." The Ronleigh captain laughed. "Well done," he said. "I wish some other fellows were a bit more careful to keep their promises.--Acton, you beggar, you swore you'd keep up this register for me, and there's nothing entered for last term." "Oh, bother you, Ally!" exclaimed the other; "what a nigger-driver you are!--Hullo, there's the bell!--Here, kid, stick those two oranges in your pocket; go 'long!" Diggory left the room, having gained something else besides the two oranges; for as he closed the door Allingford laughed again, and rising from his chair said, "He's a stanch little beggar; I think I'll keep an eye on him." The subject of this remark hurried away, and had just joined the crowd of boys who were thronging into the big school for assembly, when some one took hold of his arm, and glancing round he was startled to see Jack Vance, looking very excited and dishevelled, and mopping his mouth with a blood-stained handkerchief. "I say," exclaimed the latter, "have you seen Mugford?" "No. What's the matter? what have you done to your mouth?" "Why, I've had a beastly row with Noaks. I'll 'tell you after school." "No, tell me now," cried Diggory, pulling his companion aside into a corner by the door. "Quick--what was it?" "Why, he pounced down on Mugford, out there by the fives-court, and began twisting his arm and saying he'd pay him out for that paint-pot business. I went to the rescue, and the beast hit me with the back of his hand here on the mouth. I told him he was a cad, and said something about his father being only a man-servant, and having stolen our things. I'm sorry now, for it was rather a low thing to do, but I was in such a wax I didn't think what I was saying. Mouler was standing by, and he heard it, and laughed; and Noaks looked as if he'd have killed me. I believe he would have knocked me down, only Rowlands, the prefect, came up and stopped the row." There was no time for any further details, and the two boys had to rush away to their seats in order to escape being marked as late. One thing was certain--that the Triple Alliance were once more embroiled in a quarrel with their ancient foe the former leader of the Philistines, and they knew enough of their adversary's character to feel sure that he would not pass over an event of this kind without some attempt at revenge. It is probable that, if this had happened at Horace House, Jack Vance would have received a good licking as soon as the classes were dismissed; but a few very plain and forcible words spoken by Rowlands on the subject of knocking small boys about caused Noaks to postpone his retaliation. "Look here," he said, meeting Jack Vance in the quadrangle during the interval: "just you keep your mouth shut about me and my father. I've got two or three accounts to settle with you chaps already; just mind what you're up to." He clinched his fist as though about to strike, then, with an ugly scowl, turned on his heel and walked away. It must have been about three days after this encounter with Noaks that our three friends were called upon to attend a mass meeting of the Third Form, to consider the advisability of starting a periodical in opposition to the school magazine. Important events connected with a later period of their life at Ronleigh render it necessary that we should not linger too long over the account of their first term; but some mention, however brief, should certainly be made of the memorable gathering to which we have referred. A notice pinned on to the black-board, and pulled down as soon as Mr. Watford entered the classroom, announced the project in the following words:-- "NOTICE." "A meeting will be held in the 'old lab' directly after dinner to-day, to make plans for starting a magazine in opposition to _The Ronleian_. All members of the Third Form are specially requested to attend." "FLETCHER II." "J. A. BIBBS." "You must come," said "Rats" to Diggory; "it'll be an awful lark." "But what's it all about?" "Oh, you'll hear when you get there. It's Fletcher's idea; he wants to start a new magazine. Eastfield, who edits _The Ronleian_, is Maxton's cousin; so Maxton's going to interrupt and get some other fellows to do the same. I'm going to be part of the opposition," added the youthful "Rats," beaming with delight, "and I have got a whole heap of paper bags I'm going to burst while Fletcher's speaking." The "old lab," as it was called, was a small brick building which stood on one side of the asphalt playground. A new laboratory having recently

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