"No, sir."
"Or doing impots?"
Mr. Canning grinned. It was like the cad, thought Masters for a moment. Then, catching something out of the usual in the master's smile, he permitted himself to smile back in return.
"Impots, sir," he said.
"Ah! There's a time and a place for everything, eh, Masters?"
What could the young fellow do but grin? Mr. Canning looked absolutely genial. Now that Masters came to look at him more closely and less severely he was bound to admit that he wasn't a bad sort of fellow.
"Though beastly fond of giving impots," he thought.
"Doing it now, sir," he said.
"But there's no prep.," suggested Mr. Canning.
"Impots aren't prep., sir," came the answer.