ordinary clergyman; and Mr. Hartopp's in Orders,
too."

"Ye--es, but he took 'em after he came to the Coll. We saw him go up for
his exam. That's all right," said Beetle. "But just think if the Head
went and got ordained!"

"What would happen, Beetle?"

"Oh, the Coll. 'ud go to pieces in a year, sir. There's no doubt o'
that."

"How d'you know?" The Reverend John was smiling.

"We've been here nearly six years now. There are precious few things
about the Coll. we don't know," Stalky replied. "Why, even you came the
term after I did, sir. I remember your asking our names in form your
first lesson. Mr. King, Mr. Prout, and the Head, of course, are the only
masters senior to us--in that way."

"Yes, we've changed a good deal--in Common-room."

"Huh!" said Beetle with a grunt. "They came here, an' they went away to
get married. Jolly good riddance, too!"

"Doesn't our Beetle hold with matrimony?"

"No, Padre; don't make fun of me. I've met chaps in the holidays who've
got married house-masters. It's perfectly awful! They have babies and
teething and measles and all that sort of thing right bung _in_
the school; and the masters' wives give tea-parties--tea-parties,
Padre!--and ask the chaps to breakfast."

"That don't matter so much," said Stalky. "But the house-masters let
their houses alone, and they leave everything to the prefects. Why, in
one school, a chap told me, there were big baize doors and a passage
about a mile long between the house and the master's house. They could
do just what they pleased."

"Satan rebuking sin with a vengeance."

"Oh, larks are right enough; but you know what we mean, Padre. After a
bit it gets worse an' worse. Then there's a big bust-up and a row that
gets into the papers, and a lot of chaps are expelled, you know."

"Always the wrong un's; don't forget that. Have a cup of cocoa, Padre?"
said McTurk with the kettle.

"No, thanks; I'm smoking. Always the wrong 'uns? Pro-ceed, my Stalky."

"And then"--Stalky warmed to the work--"everybody says, 'Who'd ha'
thought it? Shockin' boys! Wicked little kids!' It all comes of havin'
married house-masters, _I_ think."

"A Daniel come to judgment."

"But it does," McTurk interrupted. "I've met chaps in the holidays, an'
they've told me the same thing. It looks awfully pretty for one's people
to see--a nice separate house with a nice lady in charge, an' all that.
But it isn't. It takes the house-masters off their work, and it giv