He now glanced eagerly at Ferrers, and then, in a tremulous voice, said, "I remember now, Ferrers put it there--I am almost sure." "Ferrers!" exclaimed the young men, with one voice.
"What humbugging nonsense!" said Salisbury, in a low tone.
"Do you hear, Mr.Ferrers ?" said the doctor: "how came you to put that Key among Louis Mortimer's books ?" "I, sir--I never," stammered Ferrers.

"What should I want with it?
What good could I get by it?
Is it likely ?" "I am not arguing on the possibility of such an event, I simply wish to know if you did it ?" said the doctor.
"I, sir--no," exclaimed Ferrers, with an air of injured innocence.
"If I had done it, why did he not accuse me at once, instead of remembering it all of a sudden ?" "Because I only just remembered that I saw you moving something towards me, and I am _almost_ sure it was that book now--I think so," replied Louis.
"You'd better be quite sure," said Ferrers.
Dr.Wilkinson looked from one to the other, and his look might have made a less unprincipled youth fear to persist in so horrible a falsehood.
"Were you learning your lessons in the school-room yesterday afternoon, Mr.Ferrers, at the same time with Louis Mortimer ?" Ferrers acknowledging this, Dr.Wilkinson sent for Mr.Witworth, and asked him if he had observed either Ferrers or Louis go into the study during the afternoon, and if he knew what each brought out with him.

Mr.Witworth replied that both went in, but he did not know what for.
"I went in to get an atlas for Ferrers," cried Louis, in great agitation.
"I got the atlas myself, Mortimer, you know," said Ferrers.
Louis was quite overcome.

He covered his face with his hands, and burst into tears.
"This is a sad business," said Dr.Wilkinson, very gravely; "much worse than I expected--one of you must be giving utterance to the most frightful untruths.

Which of you is it ?" "What would Ferrers want with the Key to The Greek Exercises sir ?" suggested Trevannion, "unless he wished to do an ill turn to Mortimer, which you cannot suppose." "I have hitherto trusted Mr.Ferrers," replied Dr.Wilkinson; "and am not disposed to withdraw that confidence without sufficient cause.
Mr.Ferrers, on your word of honor, am I to believe your statement ?" Ferrers turned pale, but the doctor's steady gaze was upon him, and all his class-fellows awaited his reply--visions of disgrace, contempt, and scorn were before him, and there was no restraining power from within to check him, as he hastily replied, "On my word of honor, sir." "I must believe you, then, as I can imagine no motive which could induce you to act dishonorably by this boy, were I to discover that any one in my school had acted so, his immediate expulsion should be the consequence." The dead silence that followed the doctor's words struck coldly on the heart of the guilty coward.
"Now, Louis Mortimer," said the doctor, sternly, "I wish to give you another chance of confessing your fault." Louis' thick convulsive sobs only replied to this.