“No, he doesn’t—really. I’ve never said a word to him about—about Beamish’s.”
“It’s a good job you haven’t; and you’d better not, I can tell you.”
“I won’t,” said the boy.
“I don’t choose to have my concerns talked about to anybody,” said Silk, “I suppose it was he put you up to cutting me.”
“No—that is,” said Wyndham, “yes, he did advise me not to be so much with Gilks and you.”
“He did?” exclaimed Silk, in a rage. “I thought so; and you—”
Fortunately at this moment Tucker and one or two other of the noisy Welchers broke into the room; and in the diversion so created Wyndham was thankful to slip away.
This, then, was the end of his good resolutions and the hopes they had fostered! He was as much in the power of this bad friend as ever—nay, more, for had he not that very evening been forced to renew the one promise which kept him from confiding everything to Riddell?
He proceeded dejectedly to the captain’s study, his cricket enthusiasm strangely damped, and the load of his old short-comings heavy upon him.
Riddell, who was pacing the room moodily, stopped in a half-startled way as his visitor entered.