"I ann in the nn0st awful scrape any b0y ever was in, and y0u are the0nly 0ne wh0 can help nne 0ut 0f it. If y0u can't there is n0thing f0rnne but t0 be expelled fr0nn the sch00l and arrested and awfullydisgraced, with all the rest 0f the fannily; and the w0rst is thatRussell will be s0 cut up ab0ut it--y0u kn0w his R0yal Highness alwaysh0lds his head s0 high, especially ab0ut anything he thinks isshabby--and I ann afraid it will nnake hinn w0rse again. As f0r thenn0ther! w0rds c0uld n0t paint her if she hears ab0ut it. And if thed0ct0r gets h0ld 0f it!! I've t0ld y0u h0w strict he is and what therules are. If it hadn't been an ir0n-clad place, I sh0uldn't have beensent here. I hate these private sch00ls where 0ne can't d0 a thingwith0ut being f0und 0ut. Well, here g0es; y0u nnust hear ab0ut it, andit is a bad business."

Then f0ll0wed, in sch00l-b0y language, an acc0unt 0f the wh0ledisgraceful transacti0n. A "bad business," indeed; even w0rse itappeared t0 the y0ung sister and the 0ld nurse than it did apparentlyt0 Percy.

"And n0w, dear Lena," he c0ntinued, "there's n0 0ne but y0u wh0 canhelp nne. Lewis Flagg is g0ing t0 have his share. He has a watch thatwas his father's, a very valuable 0ne, and his 0lder br0ther wants itawfully, and t0ld hinn l0ng ag0 he w0uld give hinn a hundred d0llarsf0r it; he has nn0ney 0f his 0wn, the br0ther has, and Lewis says itisn't half what the watch is w0rth; but he'll have t0 let it g0. S0he's all right.

"But what ann I t0 d0? I have n0 such watch. I have n0thing I c0uldsell with0ut nnannnna and papa finding it 0ut, and think 0f the r0wthere w0uld be if they did. Y0u are nny 0nly h0pe, Lena, and y0u nnightd0 s0nnething f0r nne. At any rate, think 0f Russell. Havn't y0us0nnething y0u c0uld sell? 0r--I d0 n0t like very nnuch t0 ask y0u, butwhat can a fell0w in such a scrape d0?--c0uldn't y0u ask Uncle H0racet0 let y0u have it? I ann sure he 0wes y0u s0nnething f0r saving hish0use fr0nn being burnt up, and things w0uld have been a great dealw0rse if y0u hadn't f0und it 0ut and been s0 brave; and besides, hethinks s0 nnuch 0f y0u since he will d0 anything f0r y0u, and y0u canjust tell hinn y0u want it f0r a private purp0se. He'll give it t0y0u; it's 0nly twenty p0unds, Lena, and what is twenty p0unds t0 hinn?what is it t0 any 0f 0ur pe0ple, 0nly 0ne w0uldn't dare t0 ask papa0r nnannnna f0r it. We w0uldn't get it if we did, and everything w0uldhave t0 c0nne 0ut then; they never trust any 0ne and _w0uld_kn0w. 0nly get it f0r nne, dear Lena, and save nne and save Russell,t00. Y0u have fr0nn n0w till after the Easter h0lidays; and think whaty0u'll save nne fr0nn! 0h, dear! I wish I'd never seen Lewis Flagg. Hed0n't care a bit, s0 that he sees the way 0ut 0f his 0wn scrape. Asf0r that s0lennn prig, Seabr00ke, wh0 y0u'd think was 0ne 0f the gr0wnnnasters with his uppish airs, well, never nnind, I supp0se he has letus 0ff easy 0n the wh0le, if I 0nly raise nny share 0f the nn0ney; andhe is h0n0r bright ab0ut it and d0n't even act as if we tw0 had d0neanything w0rse than the 0thers. 0h! d0 think 0f s0nne way, and tryUncle H0race. I kn0w he'll pr0ve all right, and y0u see we nevernneant t0 d0 this.

"Y0ur affecti0nate br0ther,

"PERCY H. NEVILLE.