ove this resolution had always been
the signal for a loud ovation from the House. But this year the cheers
were confined to a very small cluster of schoolhouse boys, and died away
languidly in the general silence which prevailed elsewhere. Riddell's
motion being seconded and carried, Mr Isaacs, a pallid unintelligent-
looking Limpet, rose and advanced to the chair at the end of the table
usually occupied by the Chairman of Committees, and, knocking with a
hammer once or twice, demanded silence. This being secured, he called
out, "Mr Fairbairn!" and sat down.

Fairbairn's speech was brief and to the point.

"I beg to move that the captain of the school be elected Speaker of this
House. I don't know that I need say anything in support of this."
("Oh, oh!" from a voice opposite.) "The captain always has been Speaker,
and Mr Riddell has already taken an active part in the business of the
house and knows what the Speaker's duties are. We all miss old
Wyndham,"--(loud cheers)--"but I'm sure Riddell will be a worthy
successor to him in the chair of this House."

Coates having said, "I beg to second the motion," Mr Isaacs put it to
the meeting, and asked if there was any amendment. Whereupon Game rose,
amid loud cheers from all quarters.

Game, as has already been said, was an honest fellow. He meant what he
said, and generally said what he meant. He was fully convinced in his
own mind that Willoughby would go to the dogs under the new captain, and
therefore if Riddell had been his own twin-brother he would have
protested against him all the same.

"I beg to move an amendment," he said, "and it is this: That Mr
Bloomfield be appointed Speaker of this House instead of Mr Riddell."
(It will be noticed by the way that when Willoughby sat in Parliament
everybody was "Mr") "And the reason I do so is because I consider Mr
Bloomfield ought to be captain of the school instead of Mr Riddell.
(Loud Parrett cheers.) I've nothing to say against Mr Riddell--(cheers
from the schoolhouse)--except that I don't consider he's the right man
in the right place. (Great applause.) He's been made captain against
our wishes,"--("Hear, hear," and "Oh, oh!")--"and we can't help it. But
we're not obliged to have him captain here, and what's more, we don't
mean to! (Terrific cheers, especially from the juniors.) Mr
Bloomfield's our man. Only to-day he stopped a row in the Fourth in two
minutes which Mr Riddell couldn't have stopped if