Trevor's first idea was that somebody had sent the letter for ajoke,--Clowes for choice.

　　He sounded him on the subject after breakfast.

　　"Did you send me that letter?" he inquired, when Clowes came into hisstudy to borrow a _Sportsman_.

　　"What letter? Did you send the team for tomorrow up to the sporter? Iwonder what sort of a lot the Town are bringing.""About not giving Barry his footer colours?"Clowes was reading the paper.

　　"Giving whom?" he asked.

　　"Barry. Can't you listen?""Giving him what?""Footer colours.""What about them?"Trevor sprang at the paper, and tore it away from him. After which hesat on the fragments.

　　"Did you send me a letter about not giving Barry his footer colours?"Clowes surveyed him with the air of a nurse to whom the family baby hasjust said some more than usually good thing.

　　"Don't stop," he said, "I could listen all day."Trevor felt in his pocket for the note, and flung it at him. Clowespicked it up, and read it gravely.

　　"What _are_ footer colours?" he asked.

　　"Well," said Trevor, "it's a pretty rotten sort of joke, whoever sentit. You haven't said yet whether you did or not.""What earthly reason should I have for sending it? And I think you'remaking a mistake if you think this is meant as a joke.""You don't really believe this League rot?""You didn't see Mill's study 'after treatment'. I did. Anyhow, how doyou account for the card I showed you?""But that sort of thing doesn't happen at school.""Well, it _has_ happened, you see.""Who do you think did send the letter, then?""The President of the League.""And who the dickens is the President of the League when he's at home?""If I knew that, I should tell Mill, and earn his blessing. Not that Iwant it.""Then, I suppose," snorted Trevor, "you'd suggest that on the strengthof this letter I'd better leave Barry out of the team?""Satirically in brackets," commented Clowes.

　　"It's no good your jumping on _me_," he added. "I've done nothing.

　　All I suggest is that you'd better keep more or less of a look-out. Ifthis League's anything like the old one, you'll find they've all sortsof ways of getting at people they don't love. I shouldn't like to comedown for a bath some morning, and find you already in possession, tiedup like Robinson. When they found Robinson, he was quite blue both asto the face and speech. He didn't speak very clearly, but what onecould catch was well worth hearing. I should advise you to sleep with aloaded revolver under your pillow.""The first thing I shall do is find out who wrote this letter.""I should," said Clowes, encouragingly. "Keep moving."In Seymour's house the Mill's study incident formed the only theme ofconversation that morning. Previously the sudden elevation to the firstfifteen of Barry, who was popular in the house, at the expense ofRand-Brown, who was unpopular, had given Seymour's something to talkabout. But the ragging of the study put this topic entirely in the shade.