The seniors of Forder's house were by no means gratified at the captain's prompt reply to Dangle's accusation. Indeed, that active and energetic official had written to Fisher on his own responsibility, and was now a little hurt to find that his colleagues were half inclined to repudiate his action. "Why ever couldn't you speak about the thing before you wrote like that?" said Clapperton. "We don't want another election." "You weren't going to sit down meekly, and let those fellows cheat without saying a word, were you?" retorted Dangle. "No--rather not. But that wasn't the way to do it. It would have paid us much better to stand on our dignity." "In other words," said Fullerton in his melancholy voice, "to have a grievance, and nurse it well." "You idiot!" said Clapperton. "I don't want you to tell me what I mean." "I wasn't, I was telling the others," said Fullerton. "But I agree with you. If we have another election and get beaten, we shall be far worse off than if we were able to take heaven and earth to witness we had been wronged and were too noble to seek revenge." If Fullerton could have translated Cicero as well as he translated Clapperton, what a good Classic he would have been! "We'd better decline the new election at once," said Brinkman; "it concerns me more than anybody else; and I agree with Clapperton." "Why ever not have the new election?" said Dangle. "We're bound to get our man in." "Better decline it first," said Clapperton. "They'll be glad enough not to let it go to a trial, I expect." "Hurrah for injured innocence," said Fullerton; "it's the best paying thing I know." The result of this conference was, that Dangle went across after school next morning to the captain's study where Fisher and Ranger happened to be calling at the same time. "Look here, Yorke," said the secretary, adopting his most civil tones, "you quite misunderstood my letter to Fisher major. We don't want another election. We'd just as soon let things stop as they are. It was rough on us, of course; but it divides the offices up more fairly to have them as they are." "Thanks," said Yorke, "that's not good enough. We'll have another election on Friday." Dangle's face fell. "You're fools if you do," said he. "Those five votes will make all the difference." "I don't care if they've five hundred," said Yorke. "Oh, all right. You've no message about the cheats who kept our men out, have you? Probably they've been promoted to prefects!" "You took care not to commit yourself to any names; but, as you wrote to Fisher major, you probably include him as one of the cheats. If so, I dare say he'll be glad to discuss the matter with you outside." "I never said it was he," said Dangle hurriedly. "But I know who it was." "Three of our juniors, I understand?" said Yorke. "The fags of three of your prefects, yes." "Fisher," said the captain, "will you fetch Ashby, D'Arcy, and Fisher minor here?"