ss and the arrival of the next was better than any pantomime. He was
very small; he had a large white moustache; his gown was too long; it
blew out like sails in the wind. Besides, it was the first time Jenks
had ever been seen to run.

In due time Caruthers and Fletcher appeared before the Chief. The result
was only a long "jaw" and a bad report. The Chief could not perhaps be
expected to see that a lie was any the less a lie because it was told to
a master. But in the delinquents any feeling of penitence there might
have been was entirely obscured by an utter scorn of Jenks.

"After all, the man did say he wouldn't report us," said Fletcher.

"Oh, it's all you can expect from these 'stinks men.' They have no sense
of honour."

It did not occur to Gordon that in this instance his own sense of honour
had not been tremendously in evidence. The Public School system had set
its mark on him.

The other incident was the great clothes row. All rows spring from the
most futile sources. This one began with the sickness of one
Evans-Smith, who was suddenly taken ill in form. It was a hot day, and
he fainted. Now Evans-Smith was an absolute nonentity. It was only his
second term, but he had already learnt that anything that was in the
changing-room was common property; and so when the matron took off his
shoes before putting him to bed she saw Rudd's name inside. The matter
was reported to the Chief. The Chief made a tour of the changing-room
during afternoon school, and his eyes were opened. For instance, it was
quite obvious that Turner had changed. His school suit was hung on his
peg, his blazer was presumably on him, and yet his cricket trousers were
lying on the floor, with Fischer's house scarf sticking out of the
pocket. There were many other like discoveries.

In hall that night the Chief asked Turner whose trousers he was wearing
that afternoon. The wretched youth had not the slightest idea; all he
knew was that they were not his own. He thought they might be
Bradford's.

After prayers the Chief addressed the House on the subject. He pointed
out how carelessness in little things led to carelessness in greater,
and how dangerous it was to get into a habit of taking other people's
things without thinking. He also said that it was most unhealthy to wear
someone else's clothes. He was, of course, quite right; but the House
could not see it, for the simple reason that it did not want to see it.
It would be an awful nu