At last he took Bobbie by the arm and moved down the passage in the manner of a novice on roller skates, until they were safely out of earshot, when he stopped and placed his hands upon his hips.
“You may not know it,” he began, “but I have been three times to the corner of this passage, only to find you each time propping up the wall.”
Bobbie gazed at him dully and could offer no reasonable reply.
“Say,” demanded Henry, “what’s Coles ... doing ... in that room?”
“How do you know Coles is in there?”
Henry snapped his finger.
“It’s all right,” he said. “I’ll tell you how things are. I believe Coles is up against Rouse. I believe he thinks he’s got a chance of being captain himself. That’s what everybody’s saying, anyway. Now Rouse asked for you as his fag and it seems you’ve told Morley that you’d rather stay with Coles. And what I want to know is, why?”
Bobbie was silent.
“There’s only one thing to it. Somehow or other Coles has got a strangle-hold on you.... There’s a mystery in this. Coles told Rouse that he knew your family and for that reason he particularly wanted you as his fag. I know Coles is sick with Rouse; of course, he’s blind jealous. He’s sick that he wasn’t asked to form one of the deputation to-night too.... But there’s more in it than that. Somehow Coles has got you in his grip. I’m going to find out why, and the only way to do that is to get a hold on Coles. So—what’s Coles doing in that study?”
“How do you know he’s in there?” demanded Bobbie.