The result did not appear until two days later, which brings our tale to
the forenoon of that unlucky Thursday preceeding the Southby contest.
Mr. Moller's class in Physics 2 met at eleven o'clock that morning.
Physics was an elective course with the Fifth Form and a popular one,
many of the fellows taking it only to fill out their necessary eighteen
hours a week. Mr. Moller, attired as usual with artistic nicety, sat in
his swivel chair, facing the windows, and drummed softly on the top of
the desk with immaculate finger-tips and waited for the class to
assemble.
Had he been observing the arriving students instead of the tree-tops
outside he might have noticed the peculiar fact that this morning, as
though by common consent, the students were avoiding the first two rows
of seats nearest the platform. But he didn't notice it. In fact, he
didn't turn his head until the gong in the lower hall struck and,
simultaneously, there sounded in the room the carefully-timed tread of
many feet. Then "The Conqueror" swung around in his chair, felt for the
black ribbon which held his tortoise shell glasses and, in the act of
lifting the glasses to his well-shaped nose, paused and stared.
Down the side aisle of the room, keeping step, grave of mien, walked
nine boys led by the sober-countenanced Amy Byrd. Each was attired in as
near an approach to Mr. Moller's style as had been possible with the
wardrobes at command. Not all--in fact, only two--wore frock coats, and
not all had been able to supply themselves with light grey trousers, but
the substitutions were very effective, and in no case was a fancy
waistcoat wanting. Wing collars encircled every throat, grey silk
scarves were tied with careful precision, stick-pins were at the proper
careless tilt, spats, some grey, some tan, some black, covered each
ankle, a handkerchief protruded a virgin corner from every right sleeve
and over every vest dangled a black silk ribbon. That only a few of them
ended in glasses was merely because the supply of those aids to vision
had proved inadequate to the demand. Soberly and amidst an appalling
silence the nine exquisites paced to the front of the room and disposed
themselves in the first two rows.
Mr. Moller, his face extremely red, watched without word or motion. The
rest of the class, their countenances too showing an unnatural
ruddiness, likewise maintained silence and immobility until the last of
the nine had shuffled his feet into place. Then there burst upon the
stillness a snigger which, faint as it was, sounded startlingly loud.
Whereupon pent up emotions broke loose and a burst of laughter went up
that shook the windows.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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