“I haven’t a notion. I probably said, don’t bother me—or do anything you like, or something of that sort.”
“Did you point out that it was against the rules?”
“No. Is it against the rules? There doesn’t seem any harm in it, if fellows choose to do it. Besides, it wasn’t for money.”
“Did you give six stamps?”
“Stamps? I fancy someone came to borrow some stamps of me a week or so ago. I forget who it was.”
“Felgate,” said the master with a tone of scorn which made the prefect wince, “it is hardly worth your while to tell lies when you can satisfy me of your guilt quite as easily by telling the truth. I won’t ask you more questions, for I have no wish to give you more opportunities of falsehood. Here are your six stamps. Go to Doctor Ponsford to-morrow at 8 p.m.”
Felgate looked blank at this announcement.
“What!” he exclaimed. “Go to the doctor? Are you going to tell him about a trifle like this?”
“It is no trifle for a prefect deliberately to break the school rules and encourage others to do so. I have said the same thing to you before.”
“Look here, Mr Railsford,” said Felgate, with a curious mixture of cringing and menace. “It’s not fair to send me to the doctor about a thing like this. I know you have a spite against me; but you can take it out of me without bringing him into it. I fancy if you knew all I know, you’d think twice before you did it.”