In fact, his sympathies were on the side of the agitators.

Why shouldn't they enjoy themselves if they liked?
They didn't hurt anybody--and if they did break the rules of the house; well, who was to say whether they might not be right and the rules of the house wrong?
Arthur Herapath, for instance, had set up with a dog--puppy to his friend's dog, Smiley.

Everybody knew live animals were against rules, and yet Railsford had winked all last term at Smiley; why shouldn't Arthur have equal liberty to enjoy the companionship of Smiley minor?
He met master and puppy in the passage one afternoon.
"Hullo, young 'un," said he, "another dog?
How many's that ?" "Two," said Arthur, a little doubtful as to the prefect's reception of the news.

"You see it would be rough to take him from his mother while he is so young.

It's not as if he was no relation." "Of course not.