Let me rejoin my dear schoolfellows, making a little _detour_ in order to appear to reach them from the direction not of the pond but of the orchard.
I was sheering off by the lower end of the pond, when, to my horror, I perceived a boy groping on the grass on all fours, apparently digging up the ground with a trowel.
On closer inspection I found that it was Dicky.
"Oh, it's you, is it ?" said he, as I came upon him.

"Have you done chucking things into the pond ?" "Why," said I, taken aback; "why, Dicky, what on earth are you up to ?" "Never mind--an experiment, that's all.

I'm glad it's only you.

I was afraid it was some one else.

You must be jolly hard up for a bit of fun to come and chuck things into the pond." "Oh!" said I, with tell-tale embarrassment, "I just strolled down for the walk.