ey increased in unpleasantness in arithmetical progression, until they cu

led him, matters would not have been so bad for Gethryn. Reece possessed a per

,' sai

said th

get to yesterda

somewhere,' said

.' And that was all the comme

y in his mind as to what was going to happen. Nobody could actually do anything to him, of course. It would have been a decided relief to him if anybody had tried that line of action, for moments occur when the only thing that can ad

' thought Gethryn, and bra

ryn?' said

ich there is literally no answer. You can look sheepish, you can look defiant, or you can look surpris

mpted no ver

r Jephson, 'was it pleasan

ed the rapier of sarcasm

pleasant.' He did not mean to

You actually mean to say th

, s

at do yo

t up the river on a f

cricket master, changed his action. He abandon

yesterday afte

ungsho Jabberjee, B.A., bec

Gethryn?' (icily). 'Where w

't say

uld be led gently off to the nearest asylum. Or they may imply obstinacy. Mr Jephson decided

e said, 'I shall report

the conference was at an

, and the School streamed out of the building towards their respective houses, he waylaid him at the door, and demanded an explanation. The Bishop refused to give one. Norris, wh

you don't intend to explain?' said Norris finally, wor

't exp

n't, yo

ze if you like, bu

train was becomin

logize! A man cuts off in the middle of the M.C.C. match, lo

lanations are both off.' It was hopeless to try and be conc

is g

irst after this? We can't keep a place open for you in the team on

're captain. Have you finished your address

went in at Jephson's gate, wou

ic school. They ought to sack a chap for doing that s

tort, but, coming to the conclusion that better late than n

of the four Houses on the opposite side of the School grounds. He could hardly have selected a better man to take his grievance to. Mr Robertson was a long, silent man with grizzled hair, and an eye that pierced like

, primed to bursting p

, Jephson?' sai

was. Did you happen to be looking

ertson

ood match. Norris missed a bad ca

eded the point.

day? I never heard of such a thing in my life, never. Went off during the luncheon interval without a word, and never appeared again till

Beckett finds the ordinary duties of a Headmaster quite suffici

, what is a headmaster for, if no

e manner, and answered, after the f

d gingerly. Now, firstly, it is a headmaster's busin

el

ll-call, and have no restrictions pla

. W

what School rule Gethryn ha

e likes with his spare time. He chooses to play cricket. Then he changes his mind and goes off to some unknown locality for some

ankly. 'But it's absurd. Something must be done. Th

ll knowledge I possess of the Human Boy, that matters

hing; he won't play

t is unavoidable. Mind you, I think it is a pity. Of course Gethryn has some explanation, if he would only favour us with it. Personally I think rather highly of Gethryn. So does poor old Leicester. He is the only Head-pre

sation, though it did not turn upon the suggested

Of this class was Pringle. On the Monday after the match he spent the best part of an hour of his valuable time reasoning on the subject with Lorimer. Lorimer's vote went with the majority. Although he had fielded for the Bishop, he was not,

n. He hasn't a leg to stand on. Why, it would be bad enough in a House or form

There are heaps of reasons, jolly good

?' said

een called away by a t

he make such a mystery

Norris, who, when he loses his hair, has got just about as much tact as a rhinoceros, g

won't make a bit of difference. What the chap has done is to go and get himse

, 'the Bishop isn't

e broke off suddenly, 'hav

ad not so much as beg

I'm thinking it out, you know. Gettin

buck up with it. It's go

after the O.B.s' match. That'll fix it in my mind. By the way, your people are going to co

h, to think of that. What you've got to do for the pre

d Pringle, 'I

ck-tower, Pringle was absorbing a thrilling work of fiction, and Dido, her death,