The Head of Kay's

always packed on the last day of a final house-match, and even in normal circumstances there was apt to be a little sparring between the juniors o

the end, would have made all the difference between a loss and a victory, madd

n's. It is not known who actually administered the first blow. But, when Fenn came out of the pavilion with Kennedy and Silver, he found a stirring battle in progress. The members of the other houses who had come to look on at the match stood in knots, and gazed with approval at the efforts of Kay's and Bl

Kennedy, "we oug

thout interest. "It pleases them

quite the thing, somehow. For, children, you should never let your angry passions rise; your little hands w

the others, called a truce, and Silver, having read a sort of Riot Act, moved on. The juniors of the beaten house

I left you last night

he didn't like, and today the old man sent for me and told me to come to his room from two till f

shame," said Ken

d a novel on the hills at the back of the school, and he wanted to know how the final house-match had g

ier," he said. "He had a row with Kay, and Kay

an ice, added no comment of

rell. "What's all that

've got up to about three hundred by this time. It seems to have fascinated them. They won't leave off. There's no school rule agains

ll you," he said, "only I couldn't remember what. Your saying you're fond of music rem

dy. "How did it hap

he school, a fine cricketer and keen sportsman. Had nothing

t on the right. The bowler sent down a long-hop to leg, and this Johnny had a smack at it, and sent it slap through the net, and it got Mulholland on the side of the head. H

ked Silver. "Perhaps they'll scr

s going to conduct. He's often done it at choi

saucer with an emphati

the show, I'm hanged

nnedy anxiously. He did not want to see Fenn plungin

ear you," pleaded Jimmy Silver. "Think of the n

re you a

tled in in his

He was there. It

cident, and I am looking after the entertainment in his place. Come with me and play over your piece. I should like to see that you

heir house. At the present moment they were passing the school s

they seem to be boys in my

my Silver suavely. "Fenn did not arrive, for some reason, till the end of t

ay with asperity. "When I require

later they heard him pouring out a flood

at Brookwood. Well, what are you going to do, Fenn? Going to play tonight

n r

hall play. You'd better turn

no human power sh

*

om the function as they could. Under Mr Mullholland's rule the concert had become a very flourishing institution. He aimed at a high standard, and reached it. There was more than a touch of the austere about the music. A glance at the programme was enough to show the lover of airs of the trashy, clashy order that this was no place for him. Most of the

s and at the foot of the broad stone steps that led to the Gr

s, and Williams at the junior door. The hall was f

said Silver, looking i

warm up in t

k of the school sat, leaving the body of the hall to the crowned heads, nob

. "I lost about two stone there every concert wh

all Kay's house are sitting in a lump at the back. I bet they're simply spoiling for a row. Especially now Kay's

ed Handel. Nevertheless, they were making a deafening noise. Clouds of dust rose from the rhythmical stamping of many feet.

n the audience looked serious. One or two of the visitors glanced over their shoulders with a smile. H

mme there was a ten minutes' interval. Fenn's pian

d more for services in the playing-fields than merit as a musician. Kubelik or Paderewski would have been welc

ir heroes, my dear,"

se he has won a scholar

rships at the University. What the school wanted was a batting

in his rendering of the piece, but it was undoubtedly good for a public school player. Of course he was

, "if he got an encore, that he

d there was no further room for doubt.

mad," gas

were ready for anything. It needed but a trifle to set them off. The lilt of that unspeakable Yankee melody supplied that trifle. Kay's malcontents, huddled in their se

h gorse. Soon three hundred pairs of well-shod feet were rising and falling. Somebody began to whistl

ot up from the music-stool, bowed, and walked back to his place by the senior doo

e to begin th

e noise

ked the doorways. It was plain to the dullest intelligence that if there was going to be

the gallery was beginning to follo

nnedy down the steps, "I think we may call that a record