limbs after the
day's labours.

Their version of the proceedings was very little exaggerated, and, as
Crossfield and several others who were present each entertained his own
particular circle of friends with the same story, the whole affair
became a joke against the luckless Game and Ashley.

Even their own house did not spare them, and as for Bloomfield, he
evinced his displeasure in a way which surprised the two heroes.

"What's all this foolery you've been up to, you two?" said he, coming
into the preparation-room after tea, where most of the senior Parretts
were assembled.

It was not flattering certainly to the two in question to have their
noble protest for the honour of the school thus designated, and Game
answered, rather sheepishly, "We've been up to no foolery!"

"You may not call it foolery," said Bloomfield, who was in anything but
a good temper, "but I do! Making the whole house ridiculous! Goodness
knows there's been quite enough done in that way without wanting your
help to do more!"

"What's the use of going on like that?" said Ashley. "You don't suppose
we did it to amuse ourselves, do you?"

"If you didn't amuse yourselves you amused every one else," growled
Bloomfield. "Everybody's laughing at us."

"We felt something ought to be done about Riddell--" began Game.

"Felt! You'd no business to feel, if that's the best you can show for
it," said Bloomfield. "_You'll_ never set things right!"

"Look here," said Game, quickly, losing his temper; "you know well
enough it was meant for the best, and you needn't come and kick up a row
like this before everybody! If you don't care to have Riddell shown up,
it is no reason why we shouldn't!"

"A precious lot you've shown him up! If you'd wanted to get every one
on his side, you couldn't have done better. You don't suppose any one
would be frightened out of his skin by anything a couple of asses who'd
been kicked out of the monitorship had to say?"

Bloomfield certainly had the habit of expressing himself warmly at
times, and on the present occasion he may have done so rather more
warmly than the case deserved. But he was put out and angry at the
ridiculous performance of the Parrett's boys, in which he felt the
entire house was more or less compromised.

As to Riddell, Bloomfield still kept his own private opinion of him, but
the difference between him and his more ardent comrades was that he had
the sense to keep what he thought to hi