"Never mind," said Stalky. "I knew we could make it a happy little
house. I said so, remember--but I swear I didn't think we'd do it so
soon."


"No," said Prout most firmly in Common-room. "I maintain that Gillett
is wrong. True, I let them return to their study."

"With your known views on cribbing, too?" purred little Hartopp. "What
an immoral compromise!"

"One moment," said the Reverend John. "I--we--all of us have exercised
an absolutely heart-breaking discretion for the last ten days. Now we
want to know. Confess--have you known a happy minute since--"

"As regards my house, I have not," said Prout. "But you are entirely
wrong in your estimate of those boys. In justice to the others--in
self-defence--"

"Ha! I said it would come to that," murmured the Reverend John.

"--I was forced to send them back. Their moral influence was
unspeakable--simply unspeakable."

And bit by bit he told his tale, beginning with Beetle's usury, and
ending with the house-prefects' appeal.

"Beetle in the _ro'le_ of Shylock is new to me," said King, with
twitching lips. "I heard rumors of it--"