At the near prospect of separation all Mugford's little failings were forgotten, and both Diggory and Jack Vance felt that life without him would be a blank.
"Oh, dash it all!" said the latter; "you mustn't go?
Isn't there anything we can do?
Shall I write to your guv'nor ?" The idea of Jack Vance addressing a remonstrance to his respected parent caused the ghost of a smile to appear on Mugford's doleful face.
"No, it's no good," he answered.

"There's nothing for it; I shall have to leave." During the interval which divided morning school and the free time before dinner the three friends mooned about together, trying in vain to regard the future in a more cheerful light, and to make plans for keeping touch of each other by an interchange of letters and a possible meeting in the holidays.
"It's all very well," said Jack Vance to Diggory, when late on in the afternoon he happened to come across the latter flattening his nose against the glass of the box-room window--"it's all very well talking about writing and all that; but this is the end of the Triple Alliance." "Yes," answered Diggory, after a moment's thought, "I suppose it is.
I wish we could do something more before it's broken up." As he spoke, he passed his hand mechanically along the lower surface of the window ledge; then with a sudden exclamation he went down on his knees, and picked something out of the wall.
It was another note written in cipher! The missive was certainly very brief, consisting of only seven letters:-- "GLMRTSG." "Hullo!" said Jack Vance; "they're at it again!" His companion made no reply, but taking out a pencil, copied the cipher on the back of an envelope, and then replaced the mysterious document in the crack between the window-frame and the bricks.
"What are you doing that for ?" "Why, because they may miss it, and smell a rat.

Come on; let's get the key and see what it means." In this instance the translation of the cryptograph did not occupy much time; Diggory produced his double alphabet, and soon spelt out the word:-- "_To-night._" The two chums gazed at each other for a few moments in silence.
"What does it mean ?" queried Jack.
"I don't know, unless it is that they are going to have another meeting after tea under the pavilion." "Let's find Mug, and hear what he thinks." In discussing their new find and attempting to solve its meaning, the three friends forgot for the time being the melancholy tidings they had received that morning, and gave themselves up to a full enjoyment of the mystery.
"I can't see," said Mugford, "that it means anything else than that they are going to have another meeting." "Yes, that's it.

I shall go down to the pavilion again after tea, and see what's up.

I shouldn't wonder if there is going to be another row.
Fletcher said he meant to do something before he left, and there isn't much time now before the end of the term." "Shan't Mug or I go this time ?" asked Jack Vance; "it's rather a risky business." "No, I'll go; I know now just where to hide." During the half-hour between tea and evening preparation Jack Vance and Mugford lingered about in the dark and deserted quadrangle, anxiously awaiting their comrade's return.