father on the morning of the

The reflection that he had done all that could be done tended toconsole him for the non-appearance of Wyatt either that night or nextmorning--a non-appearance which was due to the simple fact that hepassed that night in a bed in Mr. Wain's dressing-room, the door ofwhich that cautious pedagogue, who believed in taking no chances,locked from the outside on retiring to rest. Chapter 27 The Ripton Match Mike got an answer from his father on the morning of the Ripton match. 　　A letter from Wyatt also lay on his plate when he came down tobreakfast. 　　Mr. Jackson's letter was short, but to the point. He said he would goand see Wyatt early in the next week. He added that being expelledfrom a public school was not the only qualification for success as asheep-farmer, but that, if Mike's friend added to this a generalintelligence and amiability, and a skill for picking off cats with anair-pistol and bull's-eyes with a Lee-Enfield, there was no reason whysomething should not be done for him. In any case he would buy him alunch, so that Wyatt would extract at least some profit from hisvisit. He said that he hoped something could be managed. It was a pitythat a boy accustomed to shoot cats should be condemned for the restof his life to shoot nothing more exciting than his cuffs. 　　Wyatt's letter was longer. It might have been published under thetitle "My First Day in a Bank, by a Beginner." His advent hadapparently caused little sensation. He had first had a briefconversation with the manager, which had run as follows: 　　"Mr. Wyatt?""Yes, sir.""H'm ... Sportsman?""Yes, sir.""Cricketer?""Yes, sir.""Play football?""Yes, sir.""H'm ... Racquets?""Yes, sir.""Everything?""Yes, sir.""H'm ... Well, you won't get any more of it now."After which a Mr. Blenkinsop had led him up to a vast ledger, in whichhe was to inscribe the addresses of all out-going letters. Theseletters he would then stamp, and subsequently take in bundles to thepost office. Once a week he would be required to buy stamps. "If Iwere one of those Napoleons of Finance," wrote Wyatt, "I should cookthe accounts, I suppose, and embezzle stamps to an incredible amount.