"Yes, but there are exceptions to every rule," said Penny's voice.
And here I sipped the sweets of authority.
"Well, there isn't going to be any exception in this case," I said.
The crowd detected something humorous in my high-handed sentence and laughed sarcastically. So, giving up all attempts to be persuasive, I said bluntly:
"Look here, Salome's upstairs, and he's made me a prefect and sent me down to establish order."
There were elements of greatness in Pennybet. He willingly acknowledged that the coup d'état was not his but Salome's, and the riot must inevitably crumble away. So he made a point of leading the cheers that greeted my announcement, and, coming forward, was the first to congratulate me. His example was extensively followed, while he looked on approvingly, as though it had all been his doing, and chirruped every now and then: "This is the jolliest day I've spent at Kensingtowe."
CHAPTER XI
THE GREAT MATCH
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