He eluded the pitfall.
"What rot!" he said. "Sedleigh's one of the most sporting schools I've ever come across. Everybody's as keen as blazes. So they ought to be, after the way you've sweated."
Adair shuffled awkwardly.
"I've always been fairly keen on the place," he said. "But I don't suppose I've done anything much."
"You've loosened one of my front teeth," said Mike, with a grin, "if that's any comfort to you."
"I couldn't eat anything except porridge this morning. My jaw still aches."
For the first time during the conversation their eyes met, and the humorous side of the thing struck them simultaneously. They began to laugh.
"What fools we must have looked," said Adair.
"You were all right. I must have looked rotten. I've never had the gloves on in my life. I'm jolly glad no one saw us except Smith, who doesn't count. Hello, there's the bell. We'd better be moving on. What about this match? Not much chance of it from the look of the sky at present."
"It might clear before eleven. You'd better get changed, anyhow, at the interval, and hang about in case."