Perhaps, too, the fact that Mr Jarman was once more the complainant had something to do with his lack of humour.
"Now, boys," said he, "this is an unusual and unpleasant interview, and I heartily wish it were not necessary.

When a whole house is reported for rowdiness, it shows, I'm afraid, that the sense of duty to the school is in a bad way.

This is not the first occasion this term on which this house has been reported, but I have previously refrained from interfering, in the hope that the good feeling of the boys themselves would assert itself and make any action of mine unnecessary.

I am sorry it has not been so.

As to the scrimmage in the quadrangle yesterday, I am not disposed to make too much of that; at any rate, that weighs less with me than what I understand to have been a deliberate act of disobedience to the master, who quite properly interfered to restore order; disobedience, I am sorry to say, encouraged, if not instigated, by the head boy of the house.