"WHEN SHALL WE THREE MEET AGAIN ?" Once more Dr Plummer reserved himself for the afternoon.

Perhaps it was the haunting tyranny of the defunct Hector; perhaps it was pique at being baffled, so far, in finding the culprit; whatever may have been the reason, he was in an ominously uncompromising mood when at last he returned to the fateful question.
"Come up, the first boy," said he abruptly.
The Dux was evidently getting tired of all this business (and no wonder, it seemed to me), and obeyed the summons not in the best of humours.
"Tempest," said the doctor, "I repeat my question of yesterday.

Do you know anything whatever of this matter ?" "No, sir--I said so," replied the Dux, in a clear voice.
Dr Plummer scowled somewhat at this tart reply.

He rather liked his head boy, and was not prepared to find him, of all others, recalcitrant.
"I do not ask what you said, sir; I ask what you say," said he.
"I said No.

I'm not a liar," replied the Dux rather fiercely.
The doctor received this rather more meekly than most of us expected, and proceeded with his next question.
"Have you the slightest reason to suspect any one of having done it, or of knowing anything about it ?" Tempest remained silent, with flushed and angry face.
"Do you hear me, sir ?" asked the doctor, now thoroughly roused.
"Yes, sir." "Then why don't you answer at once ?" "I would not answer the question if I could," said the Dux defiantly.
Dr Plummer stared at the boy as if he had been a wild beast.
"How dare you say such a thing to me ?" he demanded.