You who couldn't even bowl a ball from one end of the wickets to the other!" There seemed nothing particular to reply to in this, so Riddell remained silent.

This only irritated Silk the more, who felt that he was by no means getting the best of it.
"You'd better stop this sort of thing at once," he said, viciously.
"You're sent here to look after the morals of the house, not to interfere with what doesn't concern you.

Tucker and I can look after the cricket without you." "Are you and Tucker going to start the old club again, then ?" asked Riddell quietly.
"Whatever business of yours is it whether we are or aren't?
Find out." "That's what I'm trying to do.

If you are, I'll advise the other fellows to join it and not have two clubs." "_You_ advise the fellows!" sneered Silk; "they don't want a schoolhouse prig like you to advise them." It was evidently no use trying to conciliate a fellow like this, and Riddell began to get tired of the interview.
"I don't want to offend you or anybody," said he boldly; "but if you and Tucker won't take the trouble to start the club, I don't see that all the house is to be done out of their cricket in consequence.

The fellows have little enough to keep them together as it is." "You are a nice _little thing_ to keep them together with, I must say," snarled Silk, "and you've made a good start by setting the juniors against their seniors." "I've done nothing of the sort," replied Riddell, quietly; "and if you'll excuse me, I've some work to do, and there's really not much use talking on the subject." So saying, he turned, and began taking his books down from the shelf.
Silk, whose irritation had been gradually getting beyond bounds, was pleased to regard this action as a direct insult to himself, and flared up accordingly.
"Look here, you snivelling, stuck-up, hypocritical prig, you!" exclaimed he, advancing and seizing the captain roughly by the arm, "we'd better come to an understanding at once.