The Fifth were far more intent on vindicating their reputation with the Sixth--and, indeed, with the rest of the school. They sought every opportunity of bringing on a collision with the monitors. One or two of their number went, so far as to pick quarrels with members of the rival class, in hopes of a fight. But in this they were not successful. The Sixth chose to look upon this display of feeling among their juniors as a temporary aberration of mind, and were by no means to be tempted into hostilities. They asserted their authority wherever they could enforce it, and sacrificed it whenever it seemed more discreet to do so. Only one thing evoked a temporary display of vexation from them, and that was when Ricketts and Braddy appeared one day, arm-in-arm, in the passages with _tall hats_ on their heads. Now, tall hats on week-days were the exclusive privilege of the Sixth at Saint Dominic's, and, worn by them during school hours, served as the badge of monitorship. This action on the part of the Fifth, therefore, was as good as a usurpation of monitorial rights, and that the Sixth were not disposed to stand. However, Raleigh, the captain, when appealed to, pooh-poohed the matter. "Let them be," said he; "what do you want to make a row about it for? If the boys do mistake them for monitors, so much the less row in the passages." Raleigh was always a man of peace--though it was rumoured he could, if he chose, thrash any two Dominicans going--and the monitors were much disgusted to find that he did not authorise them to interfere with the Fifth in the matter. But the Fifth _were_ interfered with in another quarter, and in a way which caused them to drop their chimney-pots completely. One afternoon the entire Fourth Junior appeared in the corridors in their Sunday tiles! In their Sunday tiles they slid down the banisters; in their Sunday tiles they played leapfrog; in their Sunday tiles they executed a monster tug-of-war in the bottom corridor! Stephen and Bramble fought their usual battle in top hats, and Master Paul insisted on wearing the same decoration while washing up Oliver's tea-things. It was a splendid hit, and for once in a way Guinea-pigs and Tadpoles scored one, for the Fifth appeared next day in their ordinary "boilers," and the dignity of the monitors was vindicated. But the blood was up between Fifth and Sixth, and each Form looked forward to the match, Sixth _versus_ School, with redoubled interest. "Were not these boys fools?" some one asks. To be sure they were, sir. But what of that? they were none the less boys, and most of them fine young fellows, too, with all their nonsense. However, as has been said, all this came out of the circumstances which attended the bringing out of the first number of the _Dominican_, and there seemed but a poor look-out for Number 2, which was now nearly due, in consequence.