Tempest took no notice, but went across the passage to his friend’s room.
When he reappeared in a minute or two, Pridgin was with him, and without taking further notice of the messenger’s presence the two walked arm-in-arm out of the house and across the quadrangle.
The news of the summons spread like wildfire. The Philosophers, when in due time they mustered in the faggery after their inspection of the scene of the outrage, were not slow in taking in the seriousness of the situation.
“Of course he’s suspected. It’s all your fault, you ass, for being such a muff and letting Jarman catch you. You can’t do a thing without making a mess of it.”
“How could I help it?” I pleaded.
“Couldn’t you have fetched his blazer for him without running into that cad’s way?”
“What I can’t make out,” said Langrish, “is how Tempest knew about the guy and was able to let it off.”
“I don’t believe he did,” said I. “I’m sure he didn’t.”
“You’d believe anything. Things like that don’t go off by themselves, do they?”
I was bound to admit they did not, but persisted in my belief that Tempest had nothing to do with it.