“Come up, the first boy,” said he abruptly.
The Dux was evidently getting tired of all this business (and no wonder, it seemed to me), and obeyed the summons not in the best of humours.
“Tempest,” said the doctor, “I repeat my question of yesterday. Do you know anything whatever of this matter?”
“No, sir—I said so,” replied the Dux, in a clear voice.
Dr Plummer scowled somewhat at this tart reply. He rather liked his head boy, and was not prepared to find him, of all others, recalcitrant.
“I do not ask what you said, sir; I ask what you say,” said he.
“I said No. I’m not a liar,” replied the Dux rather fiercely.
The doctor received this rather more meekly than most of us expected, and proceeded with his next question.
“Have you the slightest reason to suspect any one of having done it, or of knowing anything about it?”
Tempest remained silent, with flushed and angry face.