They owed both to Ainger, and mutually resolved that he was a cad of the lowest description.

For all that they attended to his injunctions for the next few days with wonderful punctuality, and decided to defer, till Railsford's return, their own revenge and his consequent confusion.
Altogether, it was getting to be time for Railsford to turn up.

The evening before, the first master's session for the term had been held, and the doctor, for a wonder, had been present.

Towards the end of the meeting, after the discussion of a great deal of general business, Mr Bickers rose and asked leave to make a statement.

The reader can guess what that statement was.
He begged to remind the meeting that Grandcourt still lay under the cloud of the mystery which enveloped the assault which had been made upon himself last term.