Fiveminutesafterwardsthreesmall，limping，shiveringfiguresstealalongthroughtheDoctor’sgarden，andintothehousebytheservants’entrancealltheothergateshavebeenclosedlongsince，wherethefirstthingtheylightuponinthepassageisoldThomas，amblingalong，candleinonehandandkeysintheother。
Hestopsandexaminestheirconditionwithagrimsmile。“Ah！
East，Hall，andBrown，lateforlocking-up。MustgouptotheDoctor’sstudyatonce。“
“Wellbut，Thomas，mayn’twegoandwashfirst？Youcanputdownthetime，youknow。“
“Doctor’sstudyd’rectlyyoucomein——that’stheorders，“
repliedoldThomas，motioningtowardsthestairsattheendofthepassagewhichledupintotheDoctor’shouse；andtheboysturnedruefullydownit，notcheeredbytheoldverger’smutteredremark，“Whatapickletheyboysbein！“Thomasreferredtotheirfacesandhabiliments，buttheyconstrueditasindicatingtheDoctor’sstateofmind。Upontheshortflightofstairstheypausedtoholdcounsel。
“Who’llgoinfirst？“inquiresTadpole。
“You——you’rethesenior，“answeredEast。
“Catchme。LookatthestateI’min，“rejoinedHall，showingthearmsofhisjacket。“Imustgetbehindyoutwo。“
“Well，butlookatme，“saidEast，indicatingthemassofclaybehindwhichhewasstanding；“I’mworsethanyou，twotoone。
Youmightgrowcabbagesonmytrousers。“
“That’salldownbelow，andyoucankeepyourlegsbehindthesofa，“saidHall。
“Here，Brown；you’retheshow-figure。Youmustlead。“
“Butmyfaceisallmuddy，“arguedTom。
“Oh，we’reallinoneboatforthatmatter；butcomeon；we’reonlymakingitworse，dawdlinghere。“
“Well，justgiveusabrushthen，“saidTom。Andtheybegantryingtoruboffthesuperfluousdirtfromeachother’sjackets；butitwasnotdryenough，andtherubbingmadethemworse；soindespairtheypushedthroughtheswing-doorattheheadofthestairs，andfoundthemselvesintheDoctor’shall。
“That’sthelibrarydoor，“saidEastinawhisper，pushingTomforwards。Thesoundofmerryvoicesandlaughtercamefromwithin，andhisfirsthesitatingknockwasunanswered。Butatthesecond，theDoctor’svoicesaid，“Comein；“andTomturnedthehandle，andhe，withtheothersbehindhim，sidledintotheroom。
TheDoctorlookedupfromhistask；hewasworkingawaywithagreatchiselatthebottomofaboy’ssailingboat，thelinesofwhichhewasnodoubtfashioningonthemodelofoneofNicias’sgalleys。Roundhimstoodthreeorfourchildren；thecandlesburntbrightlyonalargetableatthefartherend，coveredwithbooksandpapers，andagreatfirethrewaruddyglowovertherestoftheroom。Alllookedsokindly，andhomely，andcomfortablethattheboystookheartinamoment，andTomadvancedfrombehindtheshelterofthegreatsofa。TheDoctornoddedtothechildren，whowentout，castingcuriousandamusedglancesatthethreeyoungscarecrows。
“Well，mylittlefellows，“begantheDoctor，drawinghimselfupwithhisbacktothefire，thechiselinonehandandhiscoat-
tailsintheother，andhiseyestwinklingashelookedthemover；“whatmakesyousolate？“
“Please，sir，we’vebeenoutbig-sidehare-and-hounds，andlostourway。“
“Hah！youcouldn’tkeepup，Isuppose？“
“Well，sir，“saidEast，steppingout，andnotlikingthattheDoctorshouldthinklightlyofhisrunningpowers，“wegotroundBarbyallright；butthen-“
“Why，whatastateyou’rein，myboy！“interruptedtheDoctor，asthepitifulconditionofEast’sgarmentswasfullyrevealedtohim。
“That’sthefallIgot，sir，intheroad，“saidEast，lookingdownathimself；“theOldPigcameby-“
“Thewhat？“saidtheDoctor。
“TheOxfordcoach，sir，“explainedHall。
“Hah！yes，theRegulator，“saidtheDoctor。
“AndItumbledonmyface，tryingtogetupbehind，“wentonEast。
“You’renothurt，Ihope？“saidtheDoctor。
“Ohno，sir。“
“Wellnow，runupstairs，allthreeofyou，andgetcleanthingson，andthentellthehousekeepertogiveyousometea。You’retooyoungtotrysuchlongruns。LetWarnerknowI’veseenyou。
Good-night。“
“Good-night，sir。“Andawayscuttledthethreeboysinhighglee。
“Whatabrick，nottogiveuseventwentylinestolearn！“saidtheTadpole，astheyreachedtheirbedroom；andinhalfanhourafterwardstheyweresittingbythefireinthehousekeeper’sroomatasumptuoustea，withcoldmeat——“Twiceasgoodagrubasweshouldhavegotinthehall，“astheTadpoleremarkedwithagrin，hismouthfullofbutteredtoast。Alltheirgrievanceswereforgotten，andtheywereresolvingtogooutthefirstbig-
sidenexthalf，andthinkinghare-and-houndsthemostdelightfulofgames。
Adayortwoafterwardsthegreatpassageoutsidethebedroomswasclearedoftheboxesandportmanteaus，whichwentdowntobepackedbythematron，andgreatgamesofchariot-racing，andcock-fighting，andbolsteringwentoninthevacantspace，thesuresignofaclosinghalf-year。
Thencamethemakingupofpartiesforthejourneyhome，andTomjoinedapartywhoweretohireacoach，andpostwithfourhorsestoOxford。
ThenthelastSaturday，onwhichtheDoctorcameroundtoeachformtogiveouttheprizes，andhearthemaster’slastreportsofhowtheyandtheirchargeshadbeenconductingthemselves；
andTom，tohishugedelight，waspraised，andgothisremoveintothelowerfourth，inwhichallhisSchool-housefriendswere。
OnthenextTuesdaymorningatfouro’clockhotcoffeewasgoingoninthehousekeeper’sandmatron’srooms；boyswrappedingreat-coatsandmufflerswereswallowinghastymouthfuls，rushingabout，tumblingoverluggage，andaskingquestionsallatonceofthematron；outsidetheSchool-gatesweredrawnupseveralchaisesandthefour-horsecoachwhichTom’spartyhadchartered，thepostboysintheirbestjacketsandbreeches，andacornopeanplayer，hiredfortheoccasion，blowingaway“A
southerlywindandacloudysky，“wakingallpeacefulinhabitantshalf-waydowntheHighStreet。
Everyminutethebustleandhubbubincreased:portersstaggeredaboutwithboxesandbags，thecornopeanplayedlouder。OldThomassatinhisdenwithagreatyellowbagbyhisside，outofwhichhewaspayingjourney-moneytoeachboy，comparingbythelightofasolitarydipthedirty，crabbedlittlelistinhisownhandwritingwiththeDoctor’slistandtheamountofhiscash；hisheadwasononeside，hismouthscrewedup，andhisspectaclesdimfromearlytoil。Hehadprudentlylockedthedoor，andcarriedonhisoperationssolelythroughthewindow，orhewouldhavebeendrivenwildandlostallhismoney。
“Thomas，dobequick；weshallnevercatchtheHighflyeratDunchurch。“
“That’syourmoneyallright，Green。“
“Hullo，Thomas，theDoctorsaidIwastohavetwopoundten；
you’veonlygivenmetwopound。“IfearthatMasterGreenisnotconfininghimselfstrictlytotruth。Thomasturnshisheadmoreononesidethanever，andspellsawayatthedirtylist。
Greenisforcedawayfromthewindow。
“Here，Thomas——nevermindhim；mine’sthirtyshillings。““Andminetoo，““Andmine，“shoutedothers。
Onewayoranother，thepartytowhichTombelongedallgotpackedandpaid，andsalliedouttothegates，thecornopeanplayingfrantically“DropsofBrandy，“inallusion，probably，totheslightpotationsinwhichthemusicianandpostboyshadbeenalreadyindulging。Allluggagewascarefullystowedawayinsidethecoachandinthefrontandhindboots，sothatnotahat-boxwasvisibleoutside。Fiveorsixsmallboys，withpea-shooters，andthecornopeanplayer，gotupbehind；infrontthebigboys，mostlysmoking，notforpleasure，butbecausetheyarenowgentlemenatlarge，andthisisthemostcorrectpublicmethodofnotifyingthefact。
“Robinson’scoachwillbedowntheroadinaminute；ithasgoneuptoBird’stopickup。We’llwaittillthey’reclose，andmakearaceofit，“saystheleader。“Now，boys，halfasovereignapieceifyoubeat’emintoDunchurchbyonehundredyards。“
“Allright，sir，“shoutedthegrinningpostboys。