water the garden?'
Remember that I have been a day-boy house-master, and tried to infuse
some esprit de corps into them. It is practically impossible. They come
as units, and units they remain. Worse. They infect the boarders. Their
pestilential, critical, discontented attitude is spreading over the
school. If I had my own way--"

He stopped somewhat abruptly.

"Was that why you laughed at their singing?"

"Not at all. Not at all. It is not my habit to set one section of the
school against the other."

After a little they went the rounds. The boys were in bed now.
"Good-night!" called Herbert, standing in the corridor of the cubicles,
and from behind each of the green curtains came the sound of a voice
replying, "Good-night, sir!" "Good-night," he observed into each
dormitory.

Then he went to the switch in the passage and plunged the whole house
into darkness. Rickie lingered behind him, strangely impressed. In the
morning those boys had been scattered over England, leading their own
lives. Now, for three months, they must change everything--see new
faces, accept new ideals. They, like himself, must enter a beneficent
machine, and learn the value of esprit de corps. Good luck attend
them--good luck and a happy release. For his heart would have them
not in these cubicles and dormitories, but each in his own dear home,
amongst faces and things that he knew.

Next morning, after chapel, he made the acquaintance of his class.
Towards that he felt very differently. Esprit de corps was not expected
of it. It was simply two dozen boys who were gathered together for the
purpose of learning Latin. His duties and difficulties would not lie
here. He was not required to provide it with an atmosphere. The scheme
of work was already mapped out, and he started gaily upon familiar
words--

"Pan, ovium custos, tua si tibi Maenala curae Adsis, O Tegaee, favens."

"Do you think that beautiful?" he asked, and received the honest answer,
"No, sir; I don't think I do." He met Herbert in high spirits in the
quadrangle during the interval. But Herbert thought his enthusiasm
rather amateurish, and cautioned him.

"You must take care they don't get out of hand. I approve of a lively
teacher, but discipline must be established first."

"I felt myself a learner, not a teacher. If I'm wrong over a point, or
don't know, I mean to tell them at once." Herbert shook his head.

"It's different if I was really a scholar. But I can't pose