to abandon our
daring enterprise--possibly, that is, though I doubt it much.

But, no. Dr Hellyer grasped the chance afforded him by the fortuitous
cycle of dates as a splendid opportunity for putting down what had been
a yearly _bete noir_ to him; and so, he rushed madly on to his fate.

After dinner in the refectory, on the third of the month--two days
beforehand, so as to give them clear notice of his intentions, in order
not be accused of taking them unawares, and causing them to lay out
their savings uselessly--just as the boys were going to rush out of the
room for their usual hour's relaxation before afternoon school, he
detained them, with a wave of his well-known fat arm and the sound of
his rolling accents.

"Boys," he cried, "wait a moment! I have--ah--determined that--ah--as
Guy Fawkes' day this year--ah--will be next Sunday, when--ah--of
course--ah--you will be unable with any regard for the solemn
associations--ah--of the--ah--Sabbath, be--ah--able to celebrate it in
your usual fashion--ah--that--ah--you must--ah--postpone--ah--your--ah
bonfire--ah--till next year."

A loud murmur ran round the room at this, an expression of popular
opinion which I had never heard previously in the school.

The master, however, was equal to the occasion.

"Silence!" he roared out at the pitch of his voice, making the ceiling
ring again, dropping his "Ahs" and drowning the sibillation of the
malcontents by sheer dint of making a superior amount of noise. "Any
boy I catch hissing, or otherwise expressing disapproval of my orders,
had better look out, that's all! There will be no celebration of Guy
Fawkes' day here, do you hear me! No, neither this year, nor next year,
nor any year again, so long as I am master of this school! You can
disperse now; but, mark my words, any one found letting off a squib or
cracker, or discovered to be in the possession of gunpowder, or other
explosive compound, will have to render an account to me. Boys, you're
dismissed!"

Bless you, when Dr Hellyer ceased speaking there was a silence that
could almost be felt, and we all sneaked out of the room with
corresponding quietude--adjourning to the playground as if we were going
to attend a funeral instead of going out for diversion!

But, it was a silence that meant mischief, a quietude that was next door
to hatching a mutiny; and, when we had got outside, there was a general
howl of indignation that the Doctor could not have helped