The Head made a sudden noise of keen satisfaction. He nodded his head briskly. “Quite,” said he, “quite. I take his point. You think now that he—he is already a member of the school team, you say?—he is a capable footballer?” “Oh yes, he is one of the most senior players here.” “You think he would be willing to become the secretary?” The boy blinked his pig-like eyes and smiled. “It would make the fellow who has resigned look so silly, wouldn’t it, if he found we got another one in his place so easily? Smythe was really very impertinent to me.” The Head pursed his lips. “I will see this boy,” he announced. “Ask him to come and speak to me to-morrow.” Roe nodded. At last he leaned forward dutifully. He shifted awkwardly upon his seat. “I’ve talked it over with Coles ... and we rather hope you might be able to move him to my house.... And if you can do it ... as if it were compulsory ... so that fellows wouldn’t know he’d asked for it ... he thinks that then he and I might get a decent team together in Seymour’s.... He has some very good friends in that house ... and if we could get up a little excitement by challenging Morley’s, who at present have the best Fifteen, to a friendly ... and beat them ... Coles thinks it might turn the tide in our favour.” The Head smiled shrewdly. There was silence. “How did you find out all this?” said he. “How did you meet Coles?” Roe dipped into the recesses of his memory. “Why, he came up to me ... and held out his hand ... and then he said: ‘Circumstances have arisen which make you very welcome. Come and have a chat in my study.’ That’s how it was.” * * * * * The following day Roe appeared in school with the colours tie of the Harley First Fifteen knotted around his neck, and the result was immediately evident. Rouse and Smythe, the only two in the school who were entitled to wear that tie without the formality of winning it back for the coming season, were forthwith to be noted wearing the neat black tie of Harley’s mourning. CHAPTER XIII SOMETHING UP HIS SLEEVE One week later that bubbling effervescence which had been the outward and visible sign of the school’s unrest had very largely subsided. Harleyans were once more going in dignity about their ways. At morning prayers those who knew best the temper of the school looked out over the sea of faces, all of which seemed calmly set as if in resignation. It was true that there had been a couple of friendly matches between houses, but real enthusiasm was lacking. There was over all that hard fact that however well a fellow played he could not win his colours. There were not going to be any colours. This hit the rising and ambitious youngsters badly. Roe himself had kept discreetly quiet. The Head had made no further mention of the matter, except to cause it to be known that his own son was Harley’s official Rugger captain.