"My feeling in the matter," said Mr. Allnutt, on Brett's left, "has been, and always will be, that we coddle boys a great deal too much. In my young days at--" "Hearts!" repeated Mr. Brett loudly. "In my young days at Chiddleham," pursued Mr. Allnutt, quite unruffled, "sweaters had not been invented, and"--he threw out his chest proudly--"we were none of us a penny the worse. Shall I play to a heart, partner?" "If you please," said Mr. Haydock patiently. Mr. Brett played the hand and won the odd trick. "The nuisance about occasional apparel, such as a greatcoat," said Mr. Haydock, gathering up the cards, "is that a boy wears his some wet morning up to school, and at the end of the hour, finding that the sun is shining and being a forgetful animal, comes down without it. Net result--a greatcoat kicking about in a passage till it is lost or appropriated. Your deal, partner." "It is merely a matter of taking a little trouble," said Mr. Brett precisely. "Once boys have been taught to grasp the fact that rules are made to be obeyed and not ignored, the thing is simple. My House--" "Partner, I leave it to you," said Mr. Allnutt, _fortissimo_. "No trumps!" said Mr. Haydock. "As a matter of fact, Brett," observed the Head, as the dummy was laid down,--he was a genial despot, and Mr. Brett's pedantic fussiness was a perpetual thorn in his flesh,--"the boys I saw on Saturday were yours." Mr. Allnutt laughed loudly, and Mr. Brett, greatly put out, omitted to return the Head's lead, with the result that his opponents made four odd tricks. "Game!" announced Mr. Allnutt, quite superfluously. "Thank you, partner. Pretty work!" "It was a pity you did not return my diamond, Brett," remarked the Head mildly. He was counted one of the great Headmasters of his time, but he was as human as the rest of us where lost tricks were concerned. "I had the game in my hand." Mr. Brett stiffly expressed regret, and continued: "Would you mind giving me the names of the boys you saw? I simply can't understand it. I think there must be some mistake. No boy in my House--" "As a matter of fact," said Haydock,--he was the acknowledged peacemaker and mediator of the Staff,--"it is very difficult to get boys to wear their greatcoats. I can't help sympathising with them. They usually don't require them at all, for they run straight up to their game and straight down again. But when, as sometimes happens, they find an exciting match going on on Big Side, they can't resist the temptation of waiting for a minute or two--" Mr. Allnutt interrupted. Listening to other people was not a foible of his. "Nonsense!" he said with great gusto, as the Head began to deal the next hand. "You can't tether healthy boys with red tape. Always disregard red tape--that's my motto!" (By red tape Mr. Allnutt meant instructions from headquarters which did not happen to meet with his approval.) "Now, _my_ boys--" "Spades!" said the Head, gloomily.