The Upper Sixth, Classical, should
have traditions and its traditions should include the things of art.
Gregson, on the advice of a Cubist cousin, brought back to Elfrey some
modern studies of the nude, but Mr Berney discovered them and after a
close examination came to the conclusion that the objects depicted were
women. Then he thought the matter over and nervously demanded their
removal. This naturally fanned the flame of Gregson's bitterness
against the world of school and led him to hold forth copiously to
Martin, who enjoyed his rich outbursts of invective.

"Poor old Berney," he would say. "I suppose we can't blame him. He
doesn't understand. Ma B. hasn't got further than Matthew Arnold and I
don't suppose either of them ever heard of a chap called Wilde. [Wilde
was tremendously the god of Gregson's rebellious soul.] They'll live
and learn. I suppose some day schools will be reasonable places."

Gregson was not really a prig or a bore, but at times he ran the risk
of combining the parts. The Public School system does just as much
harm by isolating the thinker and driving him into an immature and
self-conscious spirit of opposition as it would if it crushed him
altogether. Gregson did not get on with the prefects. He used to
allude to the Iron Heel of their system, despised their methods of
keeping order, and exposed to Martin the futility of entrusting matters
of conduct to swollen-headed athletes who could only just struggle into
the History Sixth.

"They don't know what they're doing and don't care what they do. If
they see or hear anything they haven't seen or heard before they
trample on it. They all crib in form themselves and go for kids when
they crib."

"That's very British," said Martin, who could still mistake a platitude
for an epigram.

"British or foreign, it's all alike. Just as capital sits on labour
everywhere, so muscle is still on top all over the world. It's worse
at school than anywhere, but it's the Iron Heel all the same."

Martin agreed to these sentiments at the moment but gave little thought
to their bearing. He was less rebellious than Gregson and was on
reasonably good terms with all the present prefects except Heseltine.
Also his pictures had not been banned.

Martin combined with the society of Gregson a strong friendship for a
pleasant but unintellectual person called Rayner. Rayner was robust
and practical and efficient: he took everything for granted, his