Not that that would keep him from Dick; but Heathcote, who had hitherto admired his old patron as a friend, by no means relished the idea of having him an enemy.

He therefore felt that the best thing he could do was to hold his tongue, and if, after all, a row was to come, well--it would have to come.
He sat down to do his own preparation, and for half an hour neither student broke the silence.
Then Pledge, who had never known his _protege_ silent for so long together before, felt there must be something the matter which he ought to be aware of.
So he leaned back in his chair and stretched himself.
"You're a nice boy, George!" said he, laughing; "you've been sitting half an hour with your pen in your hand and haven't written a word." Georgie coloured up.
"It's a stiff bit of prose," said he.
"So it seems.

Suppose I do it for you ?" "No, thanks, Pledge," said the boy, who, without having any particular horror of having his lessons done for him, did not like just now, when he was conscious of having revolted against his senior, to accept favours from him.
"No?
It's true, then, Georgie is joining the elect and going to take holy orders ?" "No, I'm not," said Georgie.
"Then Georgie is trying to be funny and not succeeding," said the monitor, drily, returning to his own books.
Another silent quarter of an hour passed, and then the first bed bell rang.
"Good-night," said Heathcote, gathering together his books.
"Good-night, dear boy!" said Pledge, with the red spots coming out on his cheeks; "come down with me to the 'Tub' in the morning." "I'm going down with another fellow," said Georgie, feeling his heart bumping in his chest.
"Oh!" said the monitor, indifferently; "with a _very_ dear friend ?--the saintly Dick, for instance ?" "Yes," said Heathcote, and left the room.
Pledge sat motionless, watching the closed door for a full minute, and, as he did so, an ugly look crept over his face, which it was well for Heathcote he did not see.

Then he turned mechanically to his books, and buried himself in them for the rest of the evening.
The "Tub" next morning was crowded as usual, and it needed very little penetration on Pledge's part to see that the triple alliance between our three heroes was fast and serious.
They undressed on the same rock, they dived side by side from the spring-board, they came above water at the same moment, they challenged collectively any other three of the Den to meet them in mortal combat in mid-Tub, and they ended up their performance by swimming solemnly in from the open arm-in-arm, Coote, of course, being in the middle.
All this Pledge observed, and marked also their anxious looks and hurried consultations as they dressed.

He guessed that there must be some matter of common interest which was just then acting as the pivot on which the alliance turned, and his taste for scientific research determined him, if possible, to discover it.
So when, after "Tub," the three friends marched arm-in-arm down town, Pledge casually strolled the same way at a respectful distance.
It was clear the "Firm" was bound on a momentous and unpleasant errand.
Coote every other minute was convulsed by the brotherly claps which the backers-up on either side bestowed upon him; and the long faces of all three, as now and then they stopped and scrutinised the shop-window of some silversmith or pawnbroker, betokened anything but content or high spirits.
At length Pledge saw them enter very dejectedly at Mr Webster's door, where, not being anxious to disturb them, he left them and took a short turn down the shady side of High Street, within view of the stationer's shop.
Their business was not protracted, for in about three minutes he saw them emerge, with faces longer than ever, and turn their steps hurriedly and dismally towards Templeton.
When they were out of sight, Pledge crossed the road and casually turned in at Mr Webster's door.
"Well, Webster, anything new ?" "No, sir; nothing in your line, I'm afraid," said the shopman.
"By the way," said Pledge, carelessly, "was that my fag I saw coming out here just now ?" "Mr Heathcote ?" said Webster, frowning.