s. I believe in letting the house work out their own
salvation--with a light guiding hand on the reins, of course. But there
is a perceptible lack of reverence---a lower tone in matters that touch
the honor of the house, a sort of hardness."

Oh, Prout he is a nobleman, a nobleman, a nobleman!
Our Heffy is a nobleman--
He does an awful lot,
Because his popularity
Oh, pop-u-pop-u-larity--
His giddy popularity
Would suffer did he not!

The study door stood ajar; and the song, borne by twenty clear voices,
came faint from a form-room. The fags rather liked the tune; the words
were Beetle's.

"That's a thing no sensible man objects to," said Prout with a lop-sided
smile; "but you know straws show which way the wind blows. Can you trace
it to any direct influence? I am speaking to you now as heads of the
house."

"There isn't the least doubt of it," said Harrison angrily. "I know
what you mean, sir. It all began when Number Five study came to the
form-rooms. There's no use blinkin' it, Craye. You know that, too."

"They make things rather difficult for us, sometimes," said Craye. "It's
more their manner than anything else, that Harrison means."

"Do they hamper you in the discharge of your duties, then?"

"Well, no, sir. They only look on and grin--and turn up their noses
generally."

"Ah," said Prout sympathetically.

"I think, sir," said Craye, plunging into the business boldly, "it would
be a great deal better if they wore sent back to their study--better for
the house. They are rather old to be knocking about the form-rooms."

"They are younger than Orrin, or Flint, and a dozen others that I can
think of."

"Yes, sir; but that's different, somehow. They're rather influential.
They have a knack of upsettin' things in a quiet way that one can't take
hold of. At least, if one does--"

"And you think they would be better in their own study again?"

Emphatically Harrison and Craye were of that opinion. As Harrison said
to Craye, afterwards, "They've weakened our authority. They're too big
to lick; they've made an exhibition of us over this usury business,
and we're a laughing-stock to the rest of the school. I'm going up (for
Sandhurst, understood) next term. They've managed to knock me out of
half my work already with their--their lunacy. If they go back to their
study we may have a little peace."

"Hullo, Harrison." McTurk ambled round the corner, with a roving eye on
al