The Fifth Form at Saint Dominic's: A School StoryReed, Talbot Baines
History
The Fifth Form at Saint Dominic's: A School Story
Reed, Talbot Baines
Boarding schools -- England -- Juvenile fiction; Boys -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction
For a while the Fifth had the best of it. They defied the enemy to turn
them out, and procured and fixed an additional lock on the door. The
Sixth threatened to report the matter to the Doctor, and summoned the
invaders for the last time to capitulate. The invaders laughed them to
scorn, and protested the room belonged to them, and leave it they would
not for all the monitors in the world. The monitors retired, and the
Fifth enjoyed their triumph.
But next day the Doctor abruptly entered the Fifth Form room, and said,
"There is an unoccupied room at the end of the top landing, which some
boys in this class have been making use of to the annoyance of other
boys. This room, please remember, is not to be entered in future
without my permission."
Checkmate with a vengeance for the Fifth!
This event it was which, trivial in itself, re-kindled once more with
redoubled heat the old animosity between the two head Forms at Saint
Dominic's. Although the original quarrel had been confined to only
half-a-dozen individuals, it became now a party question of intense
interest. The Sixth, who were the triumphant party, could afford to
treat the matter lightly and smile over it, a demeanour which irritated
the already enraged Fifth past description. The two Forms cut one
another dead in the passages. The Fifth would gladly have provoked
their rivals to blows, but, like sensible men, the Sixth kept the right
side of the law, and refused to have anything to do with the challenges
daily hurled at them.
As might be expected, the affair did not long remain a secret from the
rest of the school. The Fourth Senior, as a body, stood up for the
Sixth, and the Third and Second, on the whole, sided with the Fifth.
But when it came to the junior school--the Guinea-pigs and Tadpoles--all
other partisanship was thrown quite into the shade.
The quarrel was one completely after their own hearts. It had begun in
a row, it had gone on in a row, and, if it ever ended, it would end in a
row.
A meeting was summoned at the earliest opportunity to take the momentous
matter into consideration.
"What I say," said Bramble, "is, it's a jolly good job!"
"What's a jolly good job?" demanded Stephen, who, of course, was red-hot
for the Fifth.
"Why, chucking them out! I'm glad to see it, ain't you, Padger?"
"They didn't chuck them out!" roared Paul; "they went and sneaked to the
Doctor, that's what they did!"
"I don't care! I say it's a jolly good job! Those who say it's a jolly
good job hold up--"
"Shut up your row!" cried Stephen; "you're always sticking yourself up.
I say it's a beastly shame, and I hope the Fifth will let them know it!"
"You're a young idiot, that's what you are!" exclaimed Bramble in a
rage. "What business have you got at the meeting? Turn him out!"
"I'll turn _you_ out!" replied the undaunted Stephen; "I've as much
right here as you have. So there!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account