Mike

our there was a call-over in each of the form-rooms. After

rning. Wrykyn was a boarding-school for the most part, but it had its leaven of day-boys. The majority of these lived in the town, and walked to school. A few, however, whose homes were farther away, came on bicycles. One plutocrat did the journey in a motor-car, rather to the scandal of the authorities,

t it was not a leading characteristic of the school; and at three minutes to nine, as a general rule, you might see

out to-day. A wave of reform could scarcely h

where was

stery. The form-rooms, li

one another in astonish

ple wonder if their brains are not p

rown, the only other occupant of the form-room, "t

y rum. I distinctly remember him giving it out in hall tha

make it out. Whe

n't all

turned up by now. Why

aying it was on again all right. I say, what a swindle if he did. S

shou

here is

ed briskly into the room, as was his habit. Seeing the ob

e you the only two her

don't know. We we

ou seen

, s

ir, if the holiday had bee

should have received some sort

s,

y that you have se

ows, sir. The usual lot

f the b

Not a si

extraor

ence p

shall go to the Common Room and make inquiries. Perhaps, as you sa

n of the difficulty. He was not a house-master, and lived by himself in rooms in the town. It w

lf a dozen masters were seated round the room, and a f

ing on. Several voices hail

Are you alone in

boys turned

e condition as

ated himself

r fellows turned up

inct understanding that there was going to be a Lower Fourth. Yet I go into my form-room this morning, and what do I fin

lloughby, as individuals," said Mr. Spence; "but,

hields precisely. "I have never been confronted with

reed Mr. Wain, plucking at

pence and Mr. Seymour, had begun t

said Mr. Seymour. "Spence, do a h

or bur

le Bo-Peep," said Mr. Seymour. "Well,

to tell me---" b

, as far as I can see, if we divide up the boys who have come to school this morning on fair share-and-share-ali

to realise that I'm the best off of you all. I've got two in my form. It

ll mean?" excla

l, holding the sensible view that first thoughts are best, have ignored the h

urely c

ere are t

n that the entire sch

oted Mr. Spence,

eard of su

history," sa

n rely on him to do the statesman-like thing, but I'm bound to say I shouldn't care to be in his place. It seems to

id Mr. Wain, with aust

ve never heard of anything like it at any public school. When I was at Winchester, my last year there, there was pretty nearly a revolution because the captain of cricket was expelled

ymour

I have to stew in my form-room all day, instructing Pickersgill II., I shall make things exceedingly sultry for that youth. He will wish that the Pickersgill progeny had stop

espair!' He reminds me of Macduff. Macbeth, Act iv., somewhere near the end. 'What,

it, Spence," said Mr. Shields querulou

ly," agree

ters walked on up the stair