“Long ago?”
“Two or three months.”
The sub-master frowned. “That is somewhat remote, Parker. If you have a weakness for decorative effects, there has been time since then for you to adorn other texts. And if you haven’t seen this book in months——”
“But I have seen it, sir!” Sam broke in. “When? Last Friday. Just before our class went in for its Latin test I borrowed the book from Trojan to look up a passage. It—it’s pretty freely marked with notes on hard places, you know.”
“So I perceive,” said the sub-master drily.
Sam coughed. “Ahem, ahem! Well, the fellows who’ve had it have written in a lot of things, sir. And—and they help, when you’re in a hurry. And there was one ‘sticker’ I did want to get straight before we tackled the examination.”
“Very much of an eleventh-hour performance, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, sir. We were in the corridor—just before we went in.”
“And you are sure you returned the book?”
“Perfectly sure, sir. Trojan wanted it back—he had something to look up, too.”