Rollitt would take his
place in the fifteen.

Yorke himself could not account for this sudden act of patriotism.
Rollitt, he said, had looked into his room last night at bedtime and
said--

"I'll play on Saturday," and vanished.

Fisher minor was perhaps, of all persons, better able to explain the
mystery than any one else. He had overheard in Ranger's study a general
lamentation about the prospects for Saturday, and a wish expressed by
his brother that Rollitt were not so unsociable and undependable.
Everybody agreed it was utterly useless to ask him to play, and that
they would have to get a second-rate man to fill the empty place, and so
most probably lose the match.

Fisher minor heard all this, and when presently, on his way to his own
den, he passed Rollitt's door, a tremendous resolution seized him to
take upon himself the duty of ambassador extraordinary for the School.
Rollitt appeared to owe him no grudge for throwing stones the other day,
and had already come to his relief handsomely at the time of the second
election and in the affair with Dangle. On the whole, Fisher minor
thought he might venture.

Rollitt was reading hard by the light of one small candle when he
entered.

"Please, Rollitt," said the boy, "would you ever mind playing for the
School on Saturday?"

Rollitt looked up in such evident alarm that Fisher major put his hand
on the latch of the door, and made ready to bolt.

"I'll see--get out," said Rollitt.

And Fisher minor did get out.

It was really too absurd to suppose that Rollitt was going to play in
the fifteen to oblige Fisher minor. So at least thought that young
gentleman, and remained discreetly silent about his interview, hoping
devoutly no one would hear of it.

The joy of the Classics was almost equal to the fury of the Moderns.
The latter could not deny that Rollitt was a host in himself, and worth
a dozen Corders. Yet it galled them to see him quietly put in the
vacant place, and to hear the jubilation on every hand.

For Rollitt was the fellow who had publicly insulted the Moderns in the
person of Dangle; and not only that, but--poor and shabby as he was--had
shown himself utterly indifferent to their indignation and contemptuous
of their threats.

"Why," Dangle said, "the fellow's a pauper! he can't even pay for his
clubs! His father's a common fellow, I'm told."

"Yes, and I heard," said Brinkman, "his fees up here are paid for him.
Why, we might just