CHAPTER XX. THE VISITING COMMITTEE AT BEECH HILL.
"I wish to protest——"
"Take your seat, Shoreham!" interposed the principal very sternly.
The last of the rebels obeyed, and did not appear to be at all angry or indignant. Possibly he was about to protest in order to save appearances. Most of the students smiled as they saw the young orator deprived of his only chance to plead the cause to which he had been a martyr for the last three days.
Captain Gildrock repeated the terms on which the prizes were to be given, so that there should be no mistake in regard to them. The ex-rebels listened, though the subject had little interest in the competition, for they had ruled themselves out of it. Not the remotest allusion was made to their misconduct.
"I have invited three gentlemen to spend a few days with me," continued the principal. "One of them is an architect, another is a civil engineer, and the third is a salesman in a hardware store in Boston. They will form the committee to award the prizes for the best plans. They will arrive this forenoon, and as soon as they come to a decision, I shall inform you of the result."
The captain then instructed Mr. Darlingby to receive the plans and make sure that there was no distinguishing mark on any of them except the character on the envelope containing the name of the competitor. He was to retain the envelopes and lock them up in the safe. As a further precaution he was required to paste a piece of paper over the character on the plans so that even this could not be seen by the committee.
The principal then left the schoolroom, declining even to see the rolls of drawings. As soon as he had gone, sixteen plans were presented. This was a greater number than the principal had expected. Mr. Darlingby carried out the instructions given him, and sent the drawings to the mansion house. The studies of the classes proceeded as usual during the forenoon.