Duncan Yates was withering in his scorn. With a contemptuous gesture he turned toward the door.
It seemed that Merriwell was on the point of leaping after him, but Frank still managed to hold himself in restraint.
Puss Parker seemed grieved.
"It's too bad!" he said, shaking his head. "I wouldn't have believed it. You are done for here, Merriwell."
"That's right," nodded Forrest. "You can never recover after this. It's the greatest mistake of your life, man."
"Come!" cried Yates from the door, which he was holding open. "You are foolish to waste further breath on him."
Then all three went out, not one of them saying good-by.
When they were gone Frank felt like tearing up and down the room and slamming things about, but he did nothing of the sort. He believed in controlling his emotions, and so he stood quite still till the first fierce anger had left him.
Then came regret and doubt. He was sorry he had shown himself on the football field, and he regretted that he had given Inza his promise not to play the game.
But it was too late for regret. He could not quell his doubts. He was not certain he had done right, and that was enough to make him wretched.