“I give Bateson a cigar, sir?”
“Do you deny it, Felgate?” demanded the master sternly.
“Oh,” said the prefect, with a forced laugh, “I believe there was some joke about a cigar. He had a great fancy to try one.”
A scornful look came into Railsford’s face as he said, “Do you really suppose, Felgate, any good is gained by not telling the truth at once?”
“The truth, sir?” said Felgate, firing up as uncandid persons always do when their veracity is questioned. “I don’t understand you, sir.”
“You understand me perfectly,” said Railsford. “You know that it is against rules for boys to smoke here.”
“I wasn’t smoking,” said Felgate.
“No. You encouraged another boy to do what you dared not do yourself; that is hardly creditable in a prefect.”
Felgate shifted his ground.
“There’s nothing wrong in smoking,” said he; “lots of fellows do it.”