Railsford looked inquiringly at his prefects.
"What is that?" he said.
"Some one in the room above, sir," replied Barnworth. "It was Sykes"
study last term," added he, consulting Ainger. "Who"s got it this time?"
"n.o.body said anything to me about it," said the house-captain.
"The room above this is occupied by Herapath and Oakshott," interposed Railsford.
The captain made an exclamation.
"Did they get your leave, sir?"
"Not exactly; they told me they were going to have the study this term, and I concluded it was all right. Is it not so?"
"They are Sh.e.l.l boys, and have no business on that floor. All the Sh.e.l.l boys keep on the second floor. Of course, they"ll say they"ve got leave."
"I"m afraid they will think so. Is there any other claimant to the study?"
"No; not that I know of."
"Perhaps they had better remain for the present," said the master. "But I cannot imagine what the noise is about. Will you see, Ainger, as you go up?"
This was a broad hint that the merry party was at an end, and no one was particularly sorry.
"Wait a second in my room, you fellows," said Ainger, on the stairs, "while I go and shut up this row."
The mystery of this disorder was apparent as soon as he opened the door.
The double study, measuring fifteen feet by nine, was temporarily converted into a football field. The tables and chairs were piled on one side "in touch"; one goal was formed by the towel-horse, the other drawn in chalk on the door. The ball was a disused pot-hat of the baronet"s, and the combatants were the two owners of the study _versus_ their cronies and fellow "Sh.e.l.l-fish"--Tilbury, of the second eleven, and Dimsdale, the gossip. There had been some very fine play on both sides, and a maul in goal at the towel-horse end, in which the dog had partic.i.p.ated, and been for a considerable period mistaken for the ball.
_Hinc illae lacrymae_.
At the moment when Ainger looked in, Herapath"s side had scored 35 goals against their adversaries" 29. The rules were strict Rugby, and nothing was wanted to complete the sport but an umpire. The captain arrived in the nick of time.
"Offside, Dim!--wasn"t he, Ainger? That"s a place-kick for us! Hang the dog! Get out, Smiley; go and keep goal. See fair play, won"t you, Ainger?"
To this impudent request Ainger replied by impounding the ball. "Stop this row!" he said peremptorily. "Tilbury and Dimsdale, you get out of here, and write fifty lines each for being off your floor after eight."
"We only came to ask Herapath what Latin we"ve to do this term; and there"s no preparation for to-morrow."
"Well, if this is your way of finding out about your Latin, you know just as much up-stairs as down here. Be off; and mind I have the lines before dinner to-morrow."
The two champions retired disconcerted, leaving the captain to deal with the arch offenders.
"First of all," said he, "what business have you in this study?"
"Oh, Railsford knows we"re here; we told him, and he didn"t object."
"Don"t you know you ought to come to the prefects about it?"
Oddly enough, both the boys had completely forgotten.
"Besides," explained Dig, "as Railsford and Herapath are sort of brother-in-laws, you know, we thought it was all right."
The reason did not appear very obvious; but the information was interesting.
"Oh, that"s it, is it?" asked the captain. "What relation is he to you?"
"He"s spoons on my sister Daisy."
The captain laughed.
"I hope she"s like her brother," said he.
The two culprits laughed vociferously. It was worth anything to them to get the captain in a good-humour.
"Well, if that"s the case," said Ainger, "I shan"t have anything to do with you. You"ve no right on this floor; you know that. If he chooses to let you be, he"ll have to keep you in order. I don"t pity him in the room underneath."
"I say, do you think he could hear us easily--when we were playing?"
"Oh, no, not at all," said the captain, laughing.
"Really! I say, Ainger, perhaps we"d better have a study up-stairs, after all."
"Thanks; not if I know it. You might pitch over my head instead of his.
I suppose, too, he"s allowed you to set up that dog?"
"Yes; it"s a present from Dig"s mother. I say, he"s not a bad-looking beast, is he?"
"Who? Dig? Not so very," said the captain, quite relieved to be able to wash his hands of this precious couple.
He departed, leaving the two worthies in a state of bewildered jubilation.
"What a splendid lark!" exclaimed Arthur. "We shall be able to do just what we like all the term. There! we"re in luck. Mark thinks Ainger"s looking after us; and Ainger will think Mark"s looking after us; and, Diggy, my boy, n.o.body will look after us except Smiley--eh, old dog?"
Smiley, who had wonderfully recovered since an hour ago, here made a playful run at the speaker"s heels under the belief that the football had recommenced; and the heart-rending yelps which Railsford heard in the room below a few moments later were occasioned by an endeavour to detach the playful pet"s teeth from the trouser-ends of his owner"s friend.
The Master of the Sh.e.l.l retired to bed that night doubtful about his boys, and doubtful about himself. He was excellent at shutting stable doors after the abstraction of the horses, and could see a blunder clearly after it had been committed. Still, hope sprang eternal in the breast of Mark Railsford. He would return to the charge to-morrow, and the next day, and the next. Meanwhile he would go to sleep.
The discussion in the captain"s room had not been unanimous.
"Well," said Felgate, when Ainger returned, "how do you like him?"
"I don"t fancy I shall get on with him."
"Poor beggar!" drawled Barnworth. "I thought he might have been a good deal worse, myself."
"So did I," said Stafford. "He was quite shy."