Encouraged by that, some one else hinted that there had been deficiencies last term as well as this; and in and out with the new story was started the report that last term Rollitt had set up with a fishing-tackle and book of flies worth ever so much.
A couple of days later the number of boys in the secret had multiplied fast, and Rollitt, as he walked across the Green to Hall or class, was watched and pointed out mysteriously by a score or more of curious boys.
Of course the story grew to all sorts of curious shapes.

Percy (who was the first of the invalided juniors to appear in his usual haunts) had it from Rix, who had had it from Banks, who had had it from Underwood, who had had it from Wilcox, who had had it from Dangle, who had been present on the occasion, that Rollitt had met the head-master in a lane near Widow Wisdom's, and holding a pistol at his head had made him turn out all his pockets, and relieved him of fifty pounds.
Percy said he didn't believe it.
Whereupon Rix reduced the amount to thirty pounds.
Percy still could not accept the story.
Whereat Rix, anxious to meet his friend as far as possible, substituted a walking-stick for the pistol.
Still Percy's gullet could not swallow even what was left.
Whereupon Rix suggested that it was open to doubt whether it was the doctor who was robbed or Fisher major.

It _might_ have been the latter.
Still Percy looked sceptical.
Which called forth an explanation that Rix did not mean to say that Dangle actually witnessed the occurrence; but that he knew it for a fact all the same.
Percy shook his head still.
And Rix, feeling much injured, laid the scene of the outrage in Fisher's study, and conceded that the money might belong to the clubs, and might be only five pounds.
Percy had the temerity once more to express doubt.

Whereupon Rix flatly declined to come down another penny in the amount, or alter his story one iota, with one possible exception; that the money may have been taken when Fisher major was not in his room.
Percy considered the anecdote had been boiled down sufficiently for human consumption, and grieved Rix prodigiously by saying that he knew all about it weeks ago, and what did he mean by coming and telling him his wretched second-hand stories?
However, whatever variations the rumour underwent as it passed from hand to hand, it managed to retain its three most salient points all through--namely, that Fisher major had been robbed; that the money taken belonged to the club; and that the suspected thief was Rollitt.
For a week or two Rollitt remained profoundly ignorant of the charges against him.

His unapproachable attitude was the despair both of friend and enemy.