No, no.) I was a fool to let myself be elected, and I'm
ashamed of myself now. Gentlemen, I am _not_ the captain of Willoughby!
I never was; and I had no more right to be than any fag present. (Loud
cheers from Parson, Telson, Cusack, and others.) The only thing I can
do now, gentlemen, to show how ashamed I am, is to resign. And I do
resign. For goodness' sake, gentlemen, let's be done with the folly
that's been working the very mischief in Willoughby all this term. I
know I've been as bad as any one, so I've no right to abuse any one.
But we've time to pull ourselves right yet. It wants three clear weeks
to the holidays. (Groans from Bosher.) In three weeks, if we choose,
we can make the old school what it was the day old Wyndham left.
(Cheers.) We've had more than folly among us this term. We've had foul
play--thank goodness no one here was concerned in that. We don't want
to kick fellows that are down, but now they've gone our chance of
pulling up is all the better, and we'll do it. (Cheers.) I said the
only thing I could do to atone for my folly was to resign. No,
gentlemen, there is something else I can do, and will do. I propose
that the captain of Willoughby be elected our President! (Cheers.)
He's a jolly good fellow, gentlemen--(cheers)--and I can tell you this
(and I'm not given to romancing), if it hadn't been for him, gentlemen,
there would have been scarcely anything of Willoughby left to pick up."

Bloomfield, whose spirited address had carried his audience by storm, as
only a genuine, hearty outburst can, sat down amid tremendous cheers.
The school had fast been coming round to his way of thinking, but it had
wanted some one to give it utterance. Riddell, in his speech a week or
two ago, had hit the right nail on the head, and now Bloomfield had
driven it home.

When presently the applause subsided, young Wyndham was discovered, all
excitement and eagerness, trying to be heard.

"I want to second that!" he cried, in a voice that positively trembled.
"I'm only a Limpet, and I've been in lots of rows, but you none of you
know what a brick he is. Gentlemen, he's worth the lot of us put
together! I mean it. If you only knew what he's done for me, you'd say
so. I'm in a row now." ("Hear! hear!" from Cusack.) "I'm detained all
the rest of the term. (Cheers from Bosher.) I can't play in the
second-eleven next week--(loud laughter)--but, gentlemen, I don't care a
hang now old Riddell'