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"Yes, yes, I see nothing objectionable about that." "Well, sir we were rather noisy " "Go on." "To speak the exact truth, sir, I fear we were very noisy; and Trieve, it seems, heard us. Instead of sending for me, sir, he sent Verney for Scaife " "Ah!" Lovell's hesitation at this point was really worthy of Coquelin cadet.
He stood up, spick and span, carefully adjusting his coat, pulling down his immaculate cuffs. "Good old Caterpillar," said somebody. "By Jove, he really thinks that Trieve will listen to him!" "Any one who has been nearly three years in this house," said the Caterpillar, "has the right to tell Miss Trieve that she is er not behaving like a lady." "And he'll tell you you're screwed, you old fool."
Not you! Tell Miss Trieve to mind her own business." John departed, feeling that an older and wiser boy might have tact to cope with this situation. For him, no course of action presented itself except delivering what amounted to a declaration of war. "Won't come? Is he mad?" "'Can't come, they said." "Oh, can't come? Has he hurt himself sprained anything?"
John, it is true, although tougher and broader, was still short for his years and juvenile of appearance, but Scaife and Desmond were quite big fellows, and their new coats became them mightily. Trieve was Head of the House; Lovell, Captain of the House football Eleven and in the Lower Sixth.
And then Trieve sent another message saying that Scaife was to go to his room at once to be whopped." "To be whopped. Um! Rather drastic that, very drastic under the circumstances." "So we thought, sir; and I went to represent the facts to Trieve " "Well?" "I'm not much of a peacemaker, I fear, sir. Trieve refused to listen to me.
Evidently Beaumont-Greene was too prudent to bully Fluff; he had resorted to the crueller alternative of terrorizing him. Lawrence would have settled this fellow's hash so John reflected in a jiffy, but Trieve, "Miss Trieve," was hopelessly incapable. Presently inspiration came.
"Of course you know, sir, that Scaife's getting his 'fez' releases him from house-fagging. We thought Trieve had forgotten that, sir; and that it would be rather fun I'm not excusing myself, sir we thought it would be a harmless joke if we persuaded Scaife not to go." "Um!" "We were very foolish, sir.
The window was flung wide open, eau de Cologne liberally applied. Scaife lay like a log. And then, in the middle of the confusion, Trieve walked in. "Scaife has had a sort of fit," explained an accomplished liar. "You know what his temper is, Trieve? And when he heard that you meant to 'whop' him, he went stark staring mad."
He had stayed on to play at Lord's, and when he left Trieve would become the Head of the House a prospect very pleasing to the turbulent Fifth. About the middle of June John suffered a parlous blow. He was never so happy as when he was sitting in Scaife's room, cheek by jowl with Desmond, sharing, perhaps, a "dringer," poring over the same dictionary.
He told the truth, just as some boys quibble and prevaricate, simply and naturally. But now, he hesitated. If he hinted a hint would suffice that Scaife had hurt himself and what more likely after the furious bit of playing which had secured his "fez"? Trieve, probably, would do nothing. John felt in his bones that Trieve would be glad of an excuse to do nothing. "No; he hasn't sprained himself."
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