He had expected this was coming, and there was no escaping it.
"It was an awfully ugly business, of course," continued Bloomfield; "and though no one suspected fellows like you and Fairbairn of such a thing, our fellows, you know, were pretty sure some one was at the bottom of it." Riddell could not help thinking, in the midst of his uneasiness, how very sagacious the Parrett's fellows had been to make the discovery! "And now," said Bloomfield, looking up, and feeling relieved to have his speech nearly done--"now that you've found out who it is, and it's all going to be cleared up, I think things ought to come all right." It was a painful situation for the captain of Willoughby.

The bribe which Bloomfield offered for his secret was what had been the wish of his heart the whole term.

If he accepted it now there would be an end to all the wretched squabbles which had worked such mischief in the school the last few months, and the one object of his ambition as head of the school would be realised.
Surely, now, he could hold back no longer.

His duty, his interest, the honour of the school, all demanded his secret of him; whereas if he held it back things would be worse than ever before.

And yet he hesitated.
That last wild half-finished exclamation of Wyndham's lingered in his mind and perplexed him.