wlers had dispatched with ease.

It was vain to attempt to account for it, to assert that the schoolhouse
had had the best of the luck: that the light had favoured them; or that
just when they happened to bowl the Rockshire men had got careless.
Even such stick-at-nothing enthusiasts as Parson, Bosher, and Co.,
couldn't make a case of it, and were forced to admit with deep
mortification that the glory had departed from Parrett's, at any rate
for a season.

Perhaps the most patriotic rejoicings that evening were in Welch's
house. They cared but little about the rivalry between Parrett's, and
the schoolhouse, and were therefore free to exult as Willoughbites pure
and simple, bestowing, of course, a special cheer on their own man,
Riddell, who, though not having performed prodigies, had yet done honest
work for his eleven, and at any rate made one smart catch.

"I tell you what," said Fairbairn, who along with Coates and Porter had
escaped from the violent applause of the schoolhouse and sought refuge
that evening in the captain's study--"I tell you what, I'm getting
perfectly sick of this everlasting schoolhouse against Parrett
business."

"So am I," said Porter. "As if they need go into the sulks because our
fellows did better than they did!"

"They've brought it on themselves, anyhow," said Coates, "and it may do
them good to have to sing small for once."

"I'm afraid if it had been the other way our fellows would have been
just as much cut up as theirs are," said Fairbairn. "Upon my word I
half envy you, Riddell, old man, being a Welcher."

Riddell smiled.

"Our fellows certainly consider themselves free to abuse or cheer all
round, without the least partiality. Listen to them now."

And certainly the hubbub that was going on was a trifle outrageous, even
for Welchers.

Indeed it was so outrageous that Riddell was obliged to ask his visitors
to excuse him for a moment while he went and quieted them.

As he opened the door of the preparation-room, where the house was
assembled, a louder cheer than ever arose in his honour; and then those
who waited in the study heard a general lull in the noise, which
continued in subdued animation after he had left the scene and returned
to his friends.

This casual illustration of the captain's influence in his new house was
quite a revelation to the three schoolhouse monitors.

"Why, what do you do to them to shut them up like that?" asked Coates,
with something