"Faugh!" said Power, with scorn and disgust curling his lip and burning in his glance; "really, Jones, you're almost too mean and nasty to have any dealings with. I don't think we can do you the honour of convening you. You shall apologise to Smythe here and now, and that shall be enough for _you_." "What! do you hesitate?" said Franklin; "you don't know when you're well off. Be quick, for we all want our breakfast." "Never mind making him apologise," said Smythe; "he's sunk quite low enough already." "It's his own doing," said Walter. "We can't have lies like his told without a blush at Saint Winifred's. Apologise he must and shall." "Don't do it," said Mackworth. "What!" said Henderson, "is that Mackworth speaking? Ah! I thought so--Bliss isn't here!" Henderson's manner was irresistibly comic; and as Mackworth winced and slunk back to the very outside of the crowd, the loud laugh which followed showed that the complete exposure of the worthlessness of their champions had already turned the current of feeling among the young conspirators, and that they were beginning to regret their unprovoked attack on the upper boys. "Now then, Jones, this is what you have to read," said Walter, who had been writing it on a slip of paper--"I humbly beg Smythe's pardon for pelting him, and the pardon of all present for my abominable lies." Jones began to mumble it out, but there arose a general shout of-- "On your knees, White-feather; on your knees, and much louder." Franklin, who was boiling over with anger and contempt, sprang forward, took Jones by the neck, and forced him on his knees in the snow, where he made him read the apology, and then let him loose. A shower of snowballs followed him as he ran to the refuge of the breakfast-hall, for there was not a boy present, no matter to what faction he belonged, who did not feel for Jones a very hearty contempt. "I hope we shall have no more of this, boys," said Power, before the rest dispersed. "There have been monitors at Saint Winifred's for a hundred years now, and it's infinitely better for the school that there should be. I suppose you would hardly prefer to be at the mercy of such a fellow as that," he said, pointing in the direction of Jones's flight. "I don't know why we should be unpopular amongst you. You know that not one of us has ever abused his authority, or behaved otherwise than kindly to you all. But I am sorry to see that you are set on--set on by fellows who ought to know better. Don't suppose, any of you, that they will frighten us from doing what we know to be right, or that _you_ can intimidate us when we are acting for the good of the school."