" said Yorke. "A necessary one."

"Between Corder and Brinkman? Come and tell me about it, Yorke."

So while Corder, amid the jubilations of his supporters, who had grown
twenty-fold since the beginning of the fight, was being escorted to his
quarters, and Brinkman, crestfallen and bewildered, was being left by
his disgusted backers to help himself, Yorke strolled on with Mr
Stratton, and gave him, as well as he could, an account of the
circumstances which for weeks had been leading up to this climax.

"I think it was as well to allow it," said the master, "but there must
be no more of it. You have a hard task before you to pull things
together, Yorke, but it will be work well done."

"Was it the right thing to dissolve the clubs, sir?" asked Yorke.

"At the time, yes. But watch your chance of reviving them. You must
have some common interest on foot, to bring the two sides together."

The captain walked back to his house in a brown study. He had half
hoped Mr Stratton might offer to interpose and restore the harmony of
the School. But no, the master had left it to the captain, and Yorke's
courage rose within him. God helping him, he would pull Fellsgarth
together before he left.

On the Green he met Fullerton. It was long since the Modern and Classic
seniors had nodded as they passed, but in the curious perversity of
things both did so now.

"There's been a fight, I hear?" said Fullerton.

"Yes. Brinkman and Corder. Corder had the best of it."

"I'm jolly glad. Corder's got more pluck than you'd give him credit
for."

"Yes; he's had a rough time of it in your house."

"So he has, poor beggar. It's rather humiliating to wait till he has
licked his man before one takes his side; but upon my word, I'm as sick
of it all as he is."

"It is rather rough on fellows who aren't allowed to do what they've a
right to do," said Yorke. "I say, have you anything special on after
afternoon school?"

"No, why?"

"Only that I wish you'd come and have tea with me."

Fullerton laughed.

"Bribery and corruption?" said he. "Anyhow, I'll come."

CHAPTER TWENTY.

"FAMA VOLAT."

The Modern seniors had certainly experienced a run of bad luck since the
inauguration of the strike, which was to have brought their rivals down
on their knees and secured for the Modern side a supremacy in
Fellsgarth.

The second Rendlesham match, the defection of Corder, the mutiny of the
juniors, the disbanding of the