The Triple Alliance, Its Trials and Triumphs

E-text prepared by Lionel G. Sear of Truro, Cornwall, England, and
dedicated to the memory of R. F. Mudie, who won the book used as the source for this e-text as Form II First Prize for the Summer Term in 1901 at the Seafield House Preparatory School, Broughty Ferry, Scotland
By HAROLD AVERY
What's your name?
Diggory Trevanock.
The whole class exploded.
Now, then, said Mr. Blake, looking up from his mark-book with a broad grin on his own face— now, then, there's nothing to laugh at.—Look here, he added, turning to the new boy, how d'you spell it?
Instead of being at all annoyed or disconcerted at the mirth of his class-mates, the youngster seemed rather to enjoy the joke, and immediately rattled out a semi-humorous reply to the master's question,—
D I G, dig; G O R Y, gory—Diggory: T R E, tre; VAN, van; O C K, ock—Trevanock. Then turning round, he smiled complacently at the occupants of the desks behind, as much as to say: There, I've done all I can to amuse you, and I hope you're satisfied.
This incident, one of the little pleasantries occasionally permitted by a class master, and which, like a judge's jokes in court, are always welcomed as a momentary relief from the depressing monotony of the serious business in hand—this little incident, I say, happened in the second class of a small preparatory school, situated on the outskirts of the market town of Chatford, and intended, according to the wording of a standing advertisement in the Denfordshire Chronicle , for the sons of gentlemen.
This establishment, which bore the somewhat suggestive name of The Birches, was owned and presided over by Mr. Welsby, who, with an unmarried daughter, Miss Eleanor, acting as housekeeper, and his nephew, Mr. Blake, performing the duties of assistant-master, undertook the preliminary education of about a dozen juveniles whose ages ranged between ten and fourteen.
On the previous evening, returning from the Christmas holidays, exactly twelve had mustered round the big table in the dining-room; no new faces had appeared, and Fred Acton, a big, strong youngster of fourteen and a half, was undisputed cock of the walk.