"We'll go back, and we'll do lines for you, but for goodness' sake don't send us up to him." "We had no warning, you see," said Stutter, "that things were changed." "Go back, then," said Bloomfield, "and make up your minds unless you keep rules you'll get treated just the same as any other rowdies.

I won't report you this time, but you'd better take care what you do." This little incident made a remarkable impression, not only on the two boys immediately concerned, but on the school generally.

For it soon got noised about, and no public proclamation could have made the state of Bloomfield's mind clearer.
But a day or two later the last glimmer of doubt was removed by the proceedings which took place in that august assembly, the Willoughby Parliament.
Honourable members assembled in large numbers, as they always did after any special school excitement, and even had this inducement been lacking, the significant sentence, "Resignation of Mr Bloomfield-- Election of President," on the notice-board would have sufficed to pack the house.
Riddell had implored Bloomfield not to take this step, or at least to defer it to the beginning of the next term.

But he might as well have pleaded with a lamp-post.

The Parrett's captain was inexorable.
"No," said he; "if it was the last day of the term I'd do it.