He glanced at his watch and found that the time was ten minutes to eight.

Tom looked up inquiringly as Steve's chair went back.
"I'm going down to see 'Horace,'" said Steve.

"I can't do that French composition, and I'm going to tell him so.

If he doesn't like it, he may do the other thing." Tom made no reply, but he watched his chum thoughtfully until the door had closed behind him.

Then he dug frowningly for a moment with the nib of a pen in the blotter and finally shook his head and went back to his book.
When Steve was half-way between the stairwell and Mr.Daley's door, the latter opened and Eric Sawyer came out.