he meaning of
it; but Beetle is as the brutes that perish about sines and cosines. He
copies serenely from Stalky, who positively rejoices in mathematics."

"Why don't you stop it?" said Prout.

"It rights itself at the exams. Then Beetle shows up blank sheets, and
trusts to his 'English' to save him from a fall. I fancy he spends most
of his time with me in writing verse."

"I wish to Heaven he would transfer a little of his energy in that
direction to Elegiaes." King jerked himself upright. "He is, with the
single exception of Stalky, the very vilest manufacturer of 'barbarous
hexameters' that I have ever dealt with."

"The work is combined in that study," said the chaplain. "Stalky does
the mathematics, McTurk the Latin, and Beetle attends to their English
and French. At least, when he was in the sick-house last month--"

"Malingering," Prout interjected.

"Quite possibly. I found a very distinct falling off in their 'Roman
d'un Jeune Homme Pauvre' translations."

"I think it is profoundly immoral," said Prout. "I've always been
opposed to the study system."

"It would be hard to find any study where the boys don't help each
other; but in Number Five the thing has probably been reduced to a
system," said little Hartopp. "They have a system in most things."

"They confess as much," said the Reverend John. "I've seen McTurk being
hounded up the stairs to elegise the 'Elegy in a Churchyard,' while
Beetle and Stalky went to punt-about."

"It amounts to systematic cribbing," said Prout, his voice growing
deeper and deeper.

"No such thing," little Hartopp returned. "You can't teach a cow the
violin."

"In intention it is cribbing."

"But we spoke under the seal of the confessional, didn't we?" said the
Reverend John.

"You say you've heard them arranging their work in this way, Gillett,"
Prout persisted.

"Good Heavens! Don't make me Queen's evidence, my dear fellow. Hartopp
is equally incriminated. If they ever found out that I had sneaked, our
relations would suffer--and I value them."

"I think your attitude in this matter is weak," said Prout, looking
round for support. "It would be really better to break up the study--for
a while--wouldn't it?"

"Oh, break it up by all means," said Macrae. "We shall see then if
Gillett's theory holds water."

"Be wise, Prout. Leave them alone, or calamity will overtake you; and
what is much more important, they will be annoyed with me. I am too fat,
alas! to