s off
their legs into rapturous applause, and (it is to be hoped) resolutions
to lead a new life and remember old Brooke's words--which, however, they
didn't altogether do, as will appear hereafter.

But it required all old Brooke's popularity to carry down parts of his
speech--especially that relating to the Doctor. For there are no such
bigoted holders by established forms and customs, be they never so
foolish or meaningless, as English school-boys--at least, as the
school-boys of our generation. We magnified into heroes every boy who
had left, and looked upon him with awe and reverence when he revisited
the place a year or so afterwards, on his way to or from Oxford or
Cambridge; and happy was the boy who remembered him, and sure of an
audience as he expounded what he used to do and say, though it were sad
enough stuff to make angels, not to say head-masters, weep.

We looked upon every trumpery little custom and habit which had obtained
in the School as though it had been a law of the Medes and Persians, and
regarded the infringement or variation of it as a sort of sacrilege. And
the Doctor, than whom no man or boy had a stronger liking for old school
customs which were good and sensible, had, as has already been hinted,
come into most decided collision with several which were neither the one
nor the other. And as old Brooke had said, when he came into collision
with boys or customs, there was nothing for them but to give in or take
themselves off; because what he said had to be done, and no mistake
about it. And this was beginning to be pretty clearly understood. The
boys felt that there was a strong man over them, who would have things
his own way, and hadn't yet learnt that he was a wise and loving man
also. His personal character and influence had not had time to make
itself felt, except by a very few of the bigger boys with whom he came
more directly into contact; and he was looked upon with great fear and
dislike by the great majority even of his own house. For he had found
School and School-house in a state of monstrous license and misrule,
and was still employed in the necessary but unpopular work of setting up
order with a strong hand.

However, as has been said, old Brooke triumphed, and the boys cheered
him and then the Doctor. And then more songs came, and the healths of
the other boys about to leave, who each made a speech, one flowery,
another maudlin, a third prosy, and so on, which are not necessar