Bobbie Carr leaned wearily against the wall with hands thrust deep in his pockets and an expression of the most complete dejection.
Except for those deplorable young men who were celebrating their return to school behind the closed doors of Coles’ study, he believed that he was absolutely alone in the whole of Morley’s. Everybody else had gone. In twos and threes and fours they had all passed down the corridor, talking in eager whispers and making emphatic gestures of resolve. To-night the school were meeting to lodge one last gigantic protest against the ways of the new Headmaster in a demonstration that would have weight of numbers solidly behind it and a mighty voice with which to speak.
And he was left alone in a passage. It was really awful. His futile office was to stand about outside that hated study and guard it against intruders. What intruders? There was nobody whatever left in the whole house to intrude. All he had to do was to kick his heels about and pretend to be waiting idiotically for a friend.
All the while the precious minutes were passing. Soon the whole school would be gathered outside the Head’s window and he, who had really conceived as great an admiration for Rouse as any other boy in the school, would not be there. Others would notice his absence and comment upon it; there would be a general and a perfectly just vote that he be kicked.
It was worse than awful. It was pitiful.
Quite unexpectedly Henry came down the passage, stopped at Coles’ study and reached for the doorknob.
Bobbie sprang forward in one excited leap.
“Stop! Hey! Where are you going?”
Henry’s attitude was admirable. His hand never reached the door. In point of fact it was never intended to. His arm fell stiffly to his side.
Then he looked for a spot suitable for quiet conversation away from the door. It was important that if Coles were in that study he should not know that he, Henry Hope, was outside.