“I don’t mind where I have it out,” growled Tucker, “but I’ll teach him to cheek me, see if I don’t.”
So saying, much to the relief of every one, he turned on his heel and left the room.
After this the discussion again got round to Riddell, and the question of a petition was revived.
“It would be quite easy to draw something up that would say what we want to say and not give offence to any one,” said Ashley.
“But what do you want to say?” asked Fairbairn. “If you want to tell the doctor he’s wrong, and that we are the people to set him right, I don’t see how you can help offending him.”
“That’s not what we want to say at all,” said Game. “We want to say that the captain of Willoughby has always been a fellow who was good all round, and we think the new captain ought to be of the same sort for the sake of the school.”
“Hear, hear,” said one or two of Parrett’s house; “what could be better than that?”
“Well,” said Porter, “I don’t see much difference between saying that and telling the doctor he doesn’t know what he’s about.”
“Of course you say so—that’s your schoolhouse prejudice,” replied Wibberly.
“It’s nothing of the sort,” said Fairbairn, warmly; “you know that as well as I do, Wibberly.”