revalent dry rot.

Now that a crisis had come I hoped Tempest might, if not for his own
sake, for ours, pull up, and take his house in hand, as he well could do
if he chose. A short conversation I overheard as I was fagging in his
study that morning, however, was not encouraging.

"What's it to be," said Wales, "a lecture or a row?"

"A row, I hope," said Tempest wearily.

"What's wrong, old chap?" asked Pridgin.

"Nothing. Out of curl, that's all," said Tempest, trying to assume a
laugh.

"You're not going to cave in to Jarman at this time of day," said Wales,
"are you?"

"Do you think it likely?" said Tempest.

"I tell you what I don't like," said Pridgin presently; "that's the way
Crofter's lately taken to do the virtuous."

"That's not the worst of him," said Wales; "but he's been chumming up
with Jarman. I've met them twice lately walking together."

"I suppose he's got his eye on the headship of the house," said Tempest,
"when I get kicked out."

"Look here, old chap," responded Pridgin, looking really anxious, "it's
not to come to that, surely. It would be intolerable to have him over
us. Come what will, you must stick to us."

"All very well," said Tempest dismally; "that's England's affair more
than mine. If knuckling under to Jarman is a condition, I'm out of it,
and Crofter is welcome to it."

This was all; and it was bad enough. When the summons to assemble in
hall came, I went there in a state of dejection, feeling that the fates
were all against me, and that the new leaf I hoped for was several pages
further on yet.

My fellow-Philosophers, I regret to say, neither shared in nor
appreciated my forebodings.

"Look at that ass Sarah, trying to look virtuous," said Trimble. "Just
like him, when there's a row on."

"I'm not trying to look virtuous," said I; "I'm sick of all these rows,
though."

"Pity you aren't sick when you're getting us into them, instead of
after. You know you've been at the bottom of every row there's been on
this term."

This sweeping statement was not calculated to allay my discomfort.

"Don't tell lies," said I.

"No more we are. Who got us into that mess at Camp Hill Bottom? Sarah
did. Who landed us in the row about Jarman's guy? Old Sarah. Who
played the fool with that barge and got us all licked? Cad Sarah. Who
started the shindy last night that's fetched us all in here? Lout
Sarah. Who's going to be expelled? Howling Sarah. And who'll