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The junior matches at Willoughby had usually been more famous for noise than cricket, but on this occasion the order of things was reversed, and Riddell, as he looked on and heard the compliments from all quarters bestowed on his young heroes, might be excused if he felt rewarded for all the labour and patience of the past month.
"I suppose so," said Telson. "Yes, I'm a schoolhouse fellow. I'm the captain's fag, you know old Riddell." "Mr Riddell is the captain, then?" "Rather! Do you know him?" Poor Miss Stringer! How sad it is, to be sure, when once we go astray. She, the Griffin of Willoughby, was as much at the mercy of this honest unconscious fag as if he had caught her in the act of picking a pocket.
"I'm rather surprised they didn't try you for it," said Gilks. "You're well-known, you know, and used to the river." "Oh, I'd rather Riddell did it if he can," said Wyndham. "I know he's awfully anxious to get it up." The talk went on like this, and trenched on no uncomfortable topic.
If that were so, what a relief and what a satisfaction it would be! Riddell felt that if Tom himself were the wrong-doer he could almost embrace him, so great would be his joy at knowing that no Willoughby boy was guilty of the crime. But it was too good a notion to be true, and Tom soon dispelled it. "I tell you," continued he, vehemently, but looking down so as to avoid the captain's eye.
How Riddell appeared to have discovered his delinquencies, and was resolved to report him. Of the certain result of such an exposure, and of the one hope he had, by voluntarily confessing all to the doctor, of averting his expulsion. Silk listened to it all with a sneer, and when it was done, replied, "And you mean to say you've got the impudence to come to me to help to get you out of a scrape?"
Of course, there's the second-eleven practices still going on for the Templeton match, but I'll turn up here all the same." Riddell took a turn or two in silence. What was he to do? A word from him, he felt, could ruin this boy before all Willoughby, and possibly disgrace him for life. He, Riddell, as captain of the school, seemed to have a clear duty in the matter.
Mr Riddell knows very little about sports, though I do hear he was seen coxing a schoolhouse boat this morning. Even though he's a Parrett's boy, and therefore can show a sign of intelligence! This oration, delivered with great animation and amidst constant laughter, helped to put the meeting in rather better humour, all except the Parrett's fellows, who did not enjoy it at all.
The words were uttered before he had noticed that the captain was not alone, or that his visitor was young Wyndham, in a state of great distress hardly greater than that of Riddell himself. As soon as he did perceive it he drew back, and said, "I beg your pardon; I didn't know any one was here."
Under cover of this diversion, Riddell, with thankful heart, continued to steer the talk out again into the main channel of school affairs, of which the affair of Wyndham junior was but one of many.
The Skyrockets being ejected, the house proceeded in a somewhat humdrum fashion to discuss the relative merits of classics and mathematics. Several of the seniors and a few Limpets had prepared speeches, which they duly delivered. Contrary to the expectation of most present, Riddell took no part in the discussion.
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