“I hear,” said Railsford, “that there was a disturbance in the house while I was away for a short time this evening. Ainger and Barnworth of course were out too, but I should like to hear from you, Stafford and Felgate, what it was all about.”
Stafford allowed Felgate to give his version; which was, like most of Felgate’s versions, decidedly apocryphal.
“There was rather a row, sir,” said he, “among some of the juniors. Some of them were wrestling, I fancy. As soon as we saw what was going on, Stafford and I came to stop it, when Mr Bickers turned up and sent us to our rooms. We told him we had been left in charge by you, but he would not listen.”
“Very annoying!” said the master.
“It’s rather humiliating to our house, sir,” said Ainger, “if our prefects are not to be allowed to deal with our own fellows.”
“I agree with you,” said Mark, warmly. “I have no reason whatever for doubting that they can and will do their duty when—”
He had intended to say “when they are not interfered with,” but deemed it more prudent to say, “when occasion requires.”
“We could easily have stopped the row, sir,” said Stafford, “if we had been allowed to do so.”
“I have no doubt of it,” said the master. “I am glad to have had this little explanation. The honour of our house is of common interest to all of us.”
A week ago this speech would have seemed a mere commonplace exhortation, but under present circumstances it had a double meaning for those present.