I hope you'll have heaps of larks; and you must write me a letter sometimes and tell me what you're doing.

Here goes--The new _Triple Alliance!_" It was customary to laugh at whatever Mugford said, but on this occasion not even a smile greeted the conclusion of his remarks.
Only Diggory spoke.

"No, we shan't have another Triple Alliance; now it's going to end." He turned, and taking something out of the biscuit-tin, said solemnly, "I, Diggory Trevanock, do hereby declare that the association known as the Triple Alliance is now dissolved; in token of which I break this bit of a flat ruler, used by us as a sugar-spoon, into three parts, one of which I present to each of the members as a keepsake, to remind them of all our great deeds and many adventures." Each boy pocketed his fragment of wood in silence.

Jack Vance tried to crack a joke, but it was a miserable failure.
"There was something I wanted to say," began "Rats" thoughtfully.
"I shall remember it in a minute.

Oh, _bother!_" "What's up ?" "Why, I know what it was; Mugford's talking about writing to him reminded me of it.