There was no sign of faltering; and, wherever the secret lurked, Railsford saw little chance of it leaking out. A few boys, indeed, as was natural, gave their replies after their own fashion. Barnworth looked bored, and answered as though the whole performance was a waste of time. Arthur Herapath was particularly knowing in his tone, and accompanied his disclaimer with an embarrassing half-wink at his future kinsman. Felgate said “No” without the “sir,” and swaggered back to his place with an ostentatious indifference which did not go unnoted. The baronet, who was nothing if not original, said nothing, but shook his head.
“Reply to the question, sir!” thundered the doctor, ominously.
Whereat Sir Digby, losing his head, said, “No, thank you, sir,” and retired, amid some confusion.
Simson, when interrogated, mildly added to his “No, sir” the explanatory sentence, “except finding him there when I went for my boots”; and Munger, the cad, added to his answer, “but I’ll try to find out,” with a leer and an oily smile, which Ainger felt strongly tempted to acknowledge by a kick as he passed back to his place. Stafford, painfully aware that he was one of the “mentioned” ones, looked horribly confused and red as he answered to his name, and satisfied several of the inexpert ones present that it was hardly necessary to look further for one of the culprits.
So the call-over passed, and when once more Ainger handed in the list Railsford seemed further than ever from seeing light through the cloud which enveloped it. The doctor’s brow darkened as he took once more his glass from his eye.
“This is very serious,” said he, slowly. “When I came here it was with the painful feeling that the house contained boys so cowardly and unprincipled as to waylay a defenceless man in the dark, and to treat him as Mr Bickers has been treated. But it is tenfold worse to believe that it contains boys cowardly enough to involve the whole house in their own disgrace and punishment. (Sensation.) I will not mince matters. Your house is deeply disgraced, and cannot pretend to rank any longer with the other houses, who at least have a good name, until you have yourselves made this matter right. It rests with you to retrieve your credit. Meanwhile—”
Everybody took a long breath. The occasion was as when the judge puts on the black cap before passing sentence of death.
“Meanwhile the house will cease to dine in Hall, but will dine in this room at one o’clock daily; and on Saturdays, instead of taking the half-holiday in the afternoon, you will take it in the morning, and assemble for school at twelve o’clock. I still trust that there may be sufficient self-respect among you to make this change only of slight duration; or that,” and here the doctor’s tone grew bitter, and his mouth gathered sarcastically—“at least self-interest may come to your assistance, and make it possible to return to the old order.”
And he stalked from the room.
“Let us off easy, eh?” said the baronet.