rwards. No action, no tricks of oratory; plain, strong, and
straight, like his play.

"Gentlemen of the School-house! I am very proud of the way in which you
have received my name, and I wish I could say all I should like in
return. But I know I shan't. However, I'll do the best I can to say what
seems to me ought to be said by a fellow who's just going to leave, and
who has spent a good slice of his life here. Eight years it is, and
eight such years as I can never hope to have again. So now I hope you'll
all listen to me--(loud cheers of 'that we will')--for I'm going to talk
seriously. You're bound to listen to me; for what's the use of calling
me 'pater,' and all that, if you don't mind what I say? And I'm going to
talk seriously, because I feel so. It's a jolly time, too, getting to
the end of the half, and a goal kicked by us first day--(tremendous
applause)--after one of the hardest and fiercest day's play I can
remember in eight years--(frantic shoutings). The school played
splendidly, too, I will say, and kept it up to the last. That last
charge of theirs would have carried away a house. I never thought to see
anything again of old Crab there, except little pieces, when I saw him
tumbled over by it--(laughter and shouting, and great slapping on the
back of Jones by the boys nearest him). Well, but we beat 'em--(cheers).
Aye, but why did we beat 'em? answer me that--(shouts of 'your play.')
Nonsense! 'Twasn't the wind and kick-off either--that wouldn't do it.
'Twasn't because we've half-a-dozen of the best players in the school,
as we have. I wouldn't change Warner, and Hedge, and Crab, and the young
un, for any six on their side--(violent cheers.) But half-a-dozen
fellows can't keep it up for two hours against two hundred. Why is it,
then? I'll tell you what I think. It's because we've more reliance on
one another, more of a house feeling, more fellowship than the school
can have. Each of us knows and can depend on his next hand man
better--that's why we beat 'em to-day. We've union, they've
division--there's the secret--(cheers). But how's this to be kept up?
How's it to be improved? That's the question. For I take it, we're all
in earnest about beating the school, whatever else we care about. I know
I'd sooner win two School-house matches running than get the Balliol
scholarship any day--(frantic cheers).

"Now, I'm as proud of the house as any one. I believe it's the best
house in the school, out-and-out--(c