ancing down the list of form orders. Over half the
House was in double figures."

"But, my good man, why worry? As long as the lads keep quiet in hall,
and leave us in peace, what does it matter? Peace at any price, that's
what I say; we get so little of it in this world, let us hang on to the
little we have got."

"But look what a name the House will get."

"The House will get much the same reputation in the school as England
has in Europe. The English as a whole are pleasure-loving and slack.
They worship games; and, after all, the Englishman is a jolly sight
better fellow than the average German or Frenchman."

"Yes, of course he's a better fellow, but the rotten thing is that he
might be a much better fellow still. If as a country we had only
ourselves to think about, let us put up a god of sport. But we have not.
We have to compete with the other nations of the world. And late cuts
are precious little use in commerce. This athleticism is ruining the
country. At any rate, I am not going to have it in the House. In hall
they've got to work; and if their places in form aren't better next week
there's going to be trouble."

"Yes there'll most certainly be trouble. I can't think why you won't
leave well alone. Lord Henry Wootton used to say----"

But Clarke was paying no attention.

That evening he got up after prayers to address the House.

"Will nothing stop this fellow's love of oratory?" murmured Betteridge.

"I have to speak to the House on a subject which I consider important,"
began Clarke. ("Which probably means that it's most damnable nonsense,"
whispered Mansell.) "The position of the members of the House in form
order is not at all creditable. In future every week the senior member
of each form will bring me a list with the places of each School House
member of the form on it. I intend to deal severely with anyone I find
consistently low. I hope, however, that I shall not have need to. This
is the best house socially and athletically; there is no reason why we
should not be the best house at work too."

"As I prophesied," said Mansell, "most damnable nonsense!"

On the Second and Third Forms this speech had a considerable effect. For
the first time in his life Cockburn did some work, and at the end of the
week he was able to announce that he had gone up two places--from
seventeenth to fifteenth. There were seventeen in the form.

The Shell and the Lower Fourth were, of course, too old to consider