He threatened Dimsdale with all sorts of penalties if he spread the secret any further.

Dimsdale, who had long ago informed everyone of his acquaintance, cheerfully promised it should go no further.

So anxious was Arthur to make up for his offence, that when one or two fellows spoke to him about it, and asked him if it was true that Railsford and his sister were going to be married, he prevaricated and hedged till he got hopelessly out of his depth.
"Married!" he would reply, scornfully, "fiddlesticks! I tell you there's nothing in it--all jaw! Who told you they were going to be married ?" From utterances like these an impression got abroad in some quarters that Railsford wanted to marry "Chuckey," but "Chuckey" wouldn't have him.

So the last end of the story was worse than the first.
Railsford, however, did not hear this latest version of his own romance; and, indeed, had plenty of other things just, at this time to occupy his attention.
Much to his own satisfaction, he received a polite note from Smedley, the captain of the school, to inform him that he had been elected a vice-president of the Athletic Union, and expressing a hope that he would favour the treasurer with the annual subscription now due, and attend a committee on Saturday evening in Mr Roe's house to arrange about the spring sports.
Both requests he gladly complied with.

Previous to the meeting he had been present as umpire at a football-match in the meadows between the first twelve against the next twenty.