all the rowdies put together. And when things have quieted
down, as he hoped they would, these fellows would get more thanks than
they did now. (Cheers from a few, who apparently considered this last
allusion referred specially to them.)

Porter was not a good speaker, and the little he did say was a good deal
bungled. Still there was a manly ring about his speech which pleased
the better disposed section of his audience, some of whom did not even
belong to the same house.

Silk followed. The Welcher monitor was clever to a certain degree, and
although he never chose to devote his cleverness to good purposes, he
usually managed to get himself listened to when he chose to take the
trouble. And at present, his peculiar position as the deposed head of
Welch's gave a certain interest to what he had to say. Bitter enough it
was.

"What chance is there of the school not going down, I should like to
know," said he, "when cant is the order of the day? (Hear, hear.) Of
course the school is going down. What interests can any one have in his
house when some one comes and begins by setting the juniors against the
seniors and then turning up the whites of his eyes and saying, `What a
shocking state of disorder the house is in?' Why, before `the little
stranger'--(loud laughter)--came to Welch's, the seniors and juniors
never fell out," ("Hear, hear," from several quarters), "but now there's
a regular mutiny. And what's bad for one house is bad for the school.
I don't care who's head of Welch's. He's welcome to the honour if he
likes, but let him act above-board, that's what I say, and not snivel
and look pious while all the time he's doing a dirty trick." (Cheers
from Tucker and one or two more, which, however, instantly died out when
Crossfield rose.)

Crossfield was the plague of the senior Welchers' lives!

"I was much affected by the beautiful speech of the gentleman who has
just sat down," he began. "It is always so sweet to hear conscious
innocence asserting itself. After the gentleman's noble efforts for the
good of his house (laughter)--and the splendid example he has set of
rectitude--(laughter)--and high moral principle--(laughter)--it is truly
touching to find him put on one side for an interloper who is villainous
enough to tell the juniors they need not walk in his saintly footsteps!
(Laughter.) But that is not what I wanted to say, and as the gentleman
appears to be overcome by his emotions--(Silk