"
Some of the gentlemen-listeners' faces turned as pale as Mr. Bill
Simms's; as pale as each conscience. Bywater was the first to gather
courage.
"It's not obliged to be Charley Channing, if there is any one drowned."
"But it's sure to be him," chattered Simms, his teeth as crazy as his
grammar. "Griffin junior says Arthur Channing went to their house last
night at twelve, and said they couldn't find Charley."
The consternation into which this news plunged the guilty ones is not
easily described. A conviction that it _was_ Charles Channing who was
drowned, overtook them all. Schoolboys are not quite without hearts,
and they would have given all they possessed, in that moment, to see
Charles come flying amongst them, as usual. Some of them began to wish
they were without necks; for if Charles had come to an untimely end
through their work, they might stand a chance of furnishing employment
to the veritable Mr. Calcraft, on their own score. Tod Yorke came
leaping up in delight.
"Oh, wasn't it good! The young one--"
"Hold your noise, Tod! They are saying he's dead."
"Who's dead?" wondered Tod.
"Charley Channing. A college boy was found in the river, drowned."
"Oh, that be hanged!" exclaimed Tod, half in mocking disbelief, half in
awful fear. "It can't be, you know. Who says it?"
"There's seven! We must go in, or Huntley will be on to us. Mind!"
added Pierce senior, for he was the speaker, "we must all keep each
other's counsel, and be in one tale--that we know nothing at all about
it.
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