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Updated: June 17, 2025
He sprang to his feet, and Braddy, the bully, was already beginning to gloat over the prospect of a fight, when, to every one's amazement, Oliver coolly put his hands back into his pockets, and walking up to Loman said, quietly, "Hadn't you better go?" Loman stared at him in astonishment. He had at least expected to be knocked down, and this, behaviour was quite incomprehensible.
There was nothing more than this to be said, assuredly, to prove the disgust of the Fifth at the conduct of their class-fellow. "I suppose Greenfield will have the grace to confess it, now it's all come out," said Ricketts. "If he doesn't I fancy we can promise him a pretty hot time of it among us," said Braddy. One or two laughed at this, but to most of those present the matter was past a joke.
Stephen looked inquiringly round at Paul, and then at the small knot of Sixth fellows who were making notes of each candidate's play. Never mind there goes Braddy in." And so the practice went on, each candidate for the honour of a place in the eleven submitting to the ordeal, and being applauded or despised according as he acquitted himself.
They asserted their authority wherever they could enforce it, and sacrificed it whenever it seemed more discreet to do so. Only one thing evoked a temporary display of vexation from them, and that was when Ricketts and Braddy appeared one day, arm-in-arm, in the passages with tall hats on their heads.
"I don't see why we shouldn't get him to play if he is at Coventry," said Callonby; "we didn't send him there." "All very well," said the captain; "if we got him we should lose Ricketts, and Bullinger, and Tom Senior, and Braddy, which would come to about the same thing." "And I shouldn't play either," said Loman, "if Greenfield played." Stansfield shrugged his shoulders and looked vicious.
What do you say?" Braddy coloured. Pembury was always snubbing him. "I don't want to tell tales," he said. "What I mean is, Wraysford ought not to be cheated out of his scholarship." "It's a lucky thing Wray has got you to set things right for him," snarled Pembury, amid a general titter. Braddy subsided at this, and left his tormentor master of the situation.
Simon smiled very blandly at this side compliment. "So you fellows," continued Tony, "may command my services from morning to night if you like." "Loman was grinding hard all yesterday," said Braddy. "I'm afraid he'll be rather a hot one to beat." "But we must beat him, mind, you fellows," said Ricketts, calmly, comprehending the whole class in his "we."
"Awfully sorry, old man, but you're not in the fifteen this time." Braddy's face was a picture at this moment he turned red and blue and white in his astonishment. "What!" he exclaimed, as soon as he could find words. "I'm not in the team!" "You'll see the list on the notice board; you'd better go and look." Off went the wretched Braddy to be convinced of his fate.
He refused to answer any further questions on the subject, and presently quitted the room, leaving more than half his class-fellows convinced that, after all, he was a coward. An angry discussion followed his departure. "He ought to be made to fight, whether he likes or not," said Braddy the bully. "Some one ought to pay Loman out," suggested Ricketts, "if Greenfield doesn't."
Most, however, did the latter, and hurried on to the next sentence: "The following are also ashamed of themselves, but don't like to say so. The Dominican means to give them a leg up: Tom Senior, G. Ricketts, R. Braddy, and the rest of the Fifth, except Simon, who never was or could be ashamed of himself while he lived to write such pathetic, soul-stirring lines as the following `Sonits:"
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