E-text prepared by Lionel G. Sear of Truro, Cornwall, England, and

dedicated to the memory of R. F. Mudie, who won the book used as thesource for this e-text as Form II First Prize for the Summer Term in1901 at the Seafield House Preparatory School, Broughty Ferry, Scotland

THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE

ITS TRIALS AND TRIUMPHS

By HAROLD AVERY

CONTENTS.

Chapter.

I. A NEW BOY,

II. THE PHILISTINES,

III. DISCOMFITURE OF THE PHILISTINES,

IV. THE SUPPER CLUB,

V. CATCHING A TARTAR,

VI. GUNPOWDER PLOT,

VII. RONLEIGH COLLEGE,

VIII. THIRD FORM ORATORY,

IX. A HOLIDAY ADVENTURE,

X. A SCREW LOOSE IN THE SIXTH,

XI. SHADOWS OF COMING EVENTS,

XII. THE WRAXBY MATCH,

XIII. THE ELECTIONS,

XIV. A PASSAGE OF ARMS,

XV. THE READING-ROOM RIOT,

XVI. THE CIPHER LETTER,

XVII. DIGGORY READS THE CIPHER,

XVIII. A SECRET SOCIETY,

XIX. A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS,

XX. SOWING THE WIND,

XXI. REAPING THE WHIRLWIND,

XXII. WHEN SHALL WE THREE MEET AGAIN?

CHAPTER I.

A NEW BOY.

"What's your name?"

"Diggory Trevanock."

The whole class exploded.

"Now, then," said Mr. Blake, looking up from his mark-book with a broadgrin on his own face—"now, then, there's nothing to laugh at.—Lookhere," he added, turning to the new boy, "how d'you spell it?"

Instead of being at all annoyed or disconcerted at the mirth of hisclass-mates, the youngster seemed rather to enjoy the joke, andimmediately rattled out a semi-humorous reply to the master'squestion,—

"D I G, dig; G O R Y, gory—Diggory: T R E, tre; VAN, van; O C K,ock—Trevanock." Then turning round, he smiled complacently at theoccupants of the desks behind, as much as to say: "There, I've doneall I can to amuse you, and I hope you're satisfied."

This incident, one of the little pleasantries occasionally permitted bya class master, and which, like a judge's jokes in court, are alwayswelcomed as a momentary relief from the depressing monotony of theserious business in hand—this little incident, I say, happened in thesecond class of a small preparatory school, situated on the outskirts ofthe market town of Chatford, and intended, according to the wording of astanding advertisement in the Denfordshire Chronicle, "for the sons ofgentlemen."

This establishment, which bore the somewhat suggestive name of "TheBirches," was owned and presided over by Mr. Welsby, who, with anunmarried daughter, Miss Eleanor, acting as housekeeper, and hisnephew, Mr. Blake, performing the duties of assistant-master, undertookthe preliminary education of about a dozen juveniles whose ages rangedbetween ten and fourteen.

On the previous evening, returning from the Christmas holidays, exactlytwelve had mustered round the big table in the dining-room; no newfaces had appeared, and Fred Acton, a big, strong youngster of fourteenand a half, was undisputed

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