his pipe against a tree

In ordinary circumstances it would have been his duty to report theaffair to the headmaster but in the present case he thought that aslightly different course might be pursued. He would lay the wholething before Mr. Wain, and leave him to deal with it as he thoughtbest. It was one of the few cases where it was possible for anassistant master to fulfil his duty to a parent directly, instead ofthrough the agency of the headmaster. 　　* * * * *Knocking out the ashes of his pipe against a tree, he folded hisdeck-chair and went into the house. The examination papers werespread invitingly on the table, but they would have to wait. Heturned down his lamp, and walked round to Wain's. 　　There was a light in one of the ground-floor windows. He tapped on thewindow, and the sound of a chair being pushed back told him that hehad been heard. The blind shot up, and he had a view of a roomlittered with books and papers, in the middle of which stood Mr. Wain,like a sea-beast among rocks. 　　Mr. Wain recognised his visitor and opened the window. Mr. Applebycould not help feeling how like Wain it was to work on a warm summer'snight in a hermetically sealed room. There was always something queerand eccentric about Wyatt's step-father. 　　"Can I have a word with you, Wain?" he said. 　　"Appleby! Is there anything the matter? I was startled when youtapped. Exceedingly so.""Sorry," said Mr. Appleby. "Wouldn't have disturbed you, only it'ssomething important. I'll climb in through here, shall I? No need tounlock the door." And, greatly to Mr. Wain's surprise and rather tohis disapproval, Mr. Appleby vaulted on to the window-sill, andsqueezed through into the room. Chapter 24 Caught "Got some rather bad news for you, I'm afraid," began Mr. Appleby. 　　"I'll smoke, if you don't mind. About Wyatt.""James!""I was sitting in my garden a few minutes ago, having a pipe beforefinishing the rest of my papers, and Wyatt dropped from the wall on tomy herbaceous border."Mr. Appleby said this with a tinge of bitterness. The thing stillrankled. 　　"James! In your garden! Impossible. Why, it is not a quarter of anhour since I left him in his dormitory.""He's not there now.""You astound me, Appleby. I am astonished.""So was I.""How is such a thing possible? His window is heavily barred.""Bars can be removed.""You must have been mistaken.""Possibly," said Mr. Appleby, a little nettled. Gaping astonishment isalways apt to be irritating. "Let's leave it at that, then. Sorry tohave disturbed you.""No, sit down, Appleby. Dear me, this is most extraordinary.