CHAPTER NINETEEN.
"IS WILLOUGHBY DEGENERATE ?" As might be expected, the new captain's move in attempting to win over the juniors of Welch's only served to increase the irritation of those seniors who had hitherto reigned supreme in the house.
But Riddell had taken this into his calculation, and was therefore not greatly astonished when immediately after the enthusiastic cricket meeting just referred to, Silk followed him to his study in a by no means amiable frame of mind.
Silk was not given to losing his temper, but on the present occasion he was decidedly ruffled.

And no wonder.
Any fellow would be ruffled who suddenly found himself deposed from his authority in the manner in which Silk had been.

Had he been one of the most conscientious and painstaking of monitors, he might well have been excused flaring up a little, and, indeed, would have shown a poor spirit had he not done so.
But Silk, as the reader knows, was neither painstaking nor conscientious.

He did not care a rap about Welch's, still less about Willoughby.

As long as he could please himself and annoy his enemies, he did not care what became of his house or the boys in it.