g obedience. It had been one thing to clean out studies for sons
of heroes like old Brooke, but quite another to do the like for Snooks
and Green, who had never faced a good scrummage at football, and
couldn't keep the passages in order at night. So they only slurred
through their fagging just well enough to escape a licking, and not
always that, and got the character of sulky, unwilling fags. In the
fifth-form room, after supper, when such matters were often discussed
and arranged, their names were for ever coming up.

"I say, Green," Snooks began one night, "isn't that new boy, Harrison,
your fag?"

"Yes; why?"

"Oh, I know something of him at home, and should like to excuse
him--will you swop?"

"Who will you give me?"

"Well, let's see; there's Willis, Johnson--No, that won't do. Yes, I
have it--there's young East, I'll give you him."

"Don't you wish you may get it?" replied Green. "I'll tell you what I'll
do--I'll give you two for Willis if you like."

"Who then?" asks Snooks.

"Hall and Brown."

"Wouldn't have 'em at a gift."

"Better than East, though; for they ain't quite so sharp," said Green,
getting up and leaning his back against the mantelpiece--he wasn't a bad
fellow, and couldn't help not being able to put down the unruly fifth
form. His eye twinkled as he went on, "Did I ever tell you how the
young vagabond sold me last half?"

"No; how?"

"Well, he never half cleaned my study out, only just stuck the
candlesticks in the cupboard, and swept the crumbs on to the floor. So
at last I was mortal angry, and had him up, made him go through the
whole performance under my eyes: the dust the young scamp made nearly
choked me, and showed that he hadn't swept the carpet before. Well, when
it was all finished, 'Now, young gentleman,' says I, 'mind, I expect
this to be done every morning, floor swept, table-cloth taken off and
shaken, and everything dusted.' 'Very well,' grunts he. Not a bit of it
though--I was quite sure in a day or two that he never took the
table-cloth off even. So I laid a trap for him: I tore up some paper and
put half-a-dozen bits on my table one night, and the cloth over them as
usual. Next morning, after breakfast, up I came, pulled off the cloth,
and sure enough there was the paper, which fluttered down on to the
floor. I was in a towering rage. 'I've got you now,' thought I, and sent
for him, while I got out my cane. Up he came as cool as you please, with
his hands in his