This sentiment was received with shouts of applause, and in honouring it the jam-pots were drained to their muddy dregs.
No one expected that Mugford would reply, for he was decidedly a man of few words; but on this occasion he rose above his usual self, and sitting with his hands in his trouser pockets, his feet on the fender of the stove, and his chin sunk forward on his breast, delivered himself as follows. The room was already growing dark with the early winter twilight, which perhaps rendered it more easy for him to undertake the task of responding to the toast.
"You've always been very kind to me," he began, speaking rather quickly.
"No, we haven't," interrupted Jack Vance.
"Yes, you have. Just shut up; I'm going to say what I like. You made friends with me because I happened to be in the same room at The Birches; but you always stuck to me, and helped me along a lot when we came here first. I know I'm stupid, and sometimes I feel I'm a coward; but I enjoyed being with you, and shall always remember the times we've had together—yes, I swear I shall—always. And now I've got a drop of cocoa left, so I'm going to propose a toast. You must take 'Rats' in my place. I hope you'll have heaps of larks; and you must write me a letter sometimes and tell me what you're doing. Here goes—The new Triple Alliance!"
It was customary to laugh at whatever Mugford said, but on this occasion not even a smile greeted the conclusion of his remarks.
Only Diggory spoke. "No, we shan't have another Triple Alliance; now it's going to end."
He turned, and taking something out of the biscuit-tin, said solemnly, "I, Diggory Trevanock, do hereby declare that the association known as the Triple Alliance is now dissolved; in token of which I break this bit of a flat ruler, used by us as a sugar-spoon, into three parts, one of which I present to each of the members as a keepsake, to remind them of all our great deeds and many adventures."
Each boy pocketed his fragment of wood in silence. Jack Vance tried to crack a joke, but it was a miserable failure.
"There was something I wanted to say," began "Rats" thoughtfully.
"I shall remember it in a minute. Oh, bother!"