They could not help it; Captain or no Captain, they must cheer again. And again Mansfield waited patiently and ungrudgingly till it was over.
“This is why I’ve come here to-night. You have your chance. Let everybody choose for himself, and don’t let any one say he didn’t know what to expect. There’s to be a Captain’s levée on Thursday. I don’t want any one to come to it who is not prepared to stand by Templeton rules this term. Those who are prepared will do well to show up.”
So ended Jupiter’s speech to the Den. He stalked down the room and out of the door amid a solemn silence, which was not broken until his firm footsteps died away down the passage.
Then the Den looked at one another as much as to say—
“What do you think of that?”
“Pretty warm!” said Dick, relieving the general embarrassment by speaking first.
“Think he means it?” said one.
“Looks like it!” said Dick, gloomily.
There was a pause. The Den knew, somehow, it was no joke.
It was a case of life or death, war or peace, liberty or servitude, and they hesitated on the brink.