"Well, Archdeacon," said the Dean nervously (he knew of old the danger- signals in Brandon's flashing eyes), "I must confess that I hadn't thought it _quite_ so definite as that. Certainly we discussed the expense of the affair." "I think the Archdeacon's right," said Bentinck-Major, who wanted to win his way back to favour after the little mistake about the music. "It was settled, I think." "Nothing of the kind," said Foster fiercely. "We settled nothing." "How does it read on the minutes?" asked the Dean nervously. "Postponed until the next meeting," said the Clerk. "At any rate," said Brandon, feeling that this absurd discussion had gone on quite long enough, "the matter is simple enough. It can be settled immediately. Any one who has gone into the matter at all closely will have discovered first that the School doesn't _need_ a roller--they've enough already--secondly, that the Treasury cannot possibly at the present moment afford to buy a new one." "I really must protest, Archdeacon," said Foster, "this is going too far. In the first place, have you yourself gone into the case?" Brandon paused before he answered. He felt that all eyes were upon him. He also felt that Foster had been stirred to a new strength of hostility by some one--he fancied he knew by whom. Moreover, _had_ he gone into it? He was aware with a stirring of impatience that he had not. He had intended to do so, but time had been short, the matter had not seemed of sufficient importance.... "I certainly have gone into it," he said, "quite as far as the case deserves. The facts are clear." "The facts are _not_ clear," said Foster angrily. "I say that the School should have this roller and that we are behaving with abominable meanness in preventing it"; and he banged his fist upon the table. "If that charge of meanness is intended personally,..." said Brandon angrily. "I assure you, Archdeacon,..." said Ryle. The Dean raised a hand in protest. "I don't think," he said, "that anything here is ever intended personally. We must never forget that we are in God's House. Of course, this is an affair that really should be in the hands of the Treasury. But I'm afraid that Canon Ronder can hardly be expected in the short time that he's been with us to have investigated this little matter." Every one looked at Ronder. There was a pleasant sense of drama in the affair. Brandon was gazing at the portraits above the table and pretending to be outside the whole business; in reality, his heart beat angrily. His word should have been enough, in earlier days _would_ have been. Everything now was topsy-turvy.