“Anyhow,” persisted Mr. Plummer, “though he does it badly, Chowdler represents what many, if not most, of us feel. You know I’m not one of the people who go shouting their criticisms on the house-tops: but, candidly, I don’t approve of the new régime.” “What don’t you approve of, pray?” asked Mr. Bent scornfully. “The weeding out of the old and incompetent? the attempt to restore discipline? the----” “I’m not going to particularise,” said Mr. Plummer, “but I distrust Flaggon’s whole attitude; especially in a man who has no experience. The boys are discontented, the staff is divided, the numbers are down, and we’re all wondering where it’s going to end.” “‘Ye fools and uncircumcised in heart and mind,’” burst out Mr. Bent, “‘ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.’” “That’s blasphemous,” cried Mr. Plummer. “I believe that’s what they said of Stephen,” replied Mr. Bent, recovering his composure. “But, as a matter of fact, I was quoting from an unpublished letter of Lanchester’s; and he happened to be speaking of an eighteenth-century Chowdler.” CHAPTER XIII IN DARK PLACES It was obviously to the interest of all parties that the appeal should be settled as soon as possible. But the Council showed no haste in coming to a decision. The delay was ominous, for it seemed to indicate that they regarded the question as an open one. This being so, Mr. Pounderly and several of his senior colleagues were anxious that the staff should take combined action. There was no doubt in Mr. Pounderly’s mind as to what form the combined action should take. “If,” he said, “the policy of cutting off the heads of the tallest lilies receives official sanction, it will not stop with Chowdler. The lives and fortunes of all of us are at stake. It is most important that at this crisis the staff should show a united front.” It took many hours of patient argument to persuade Mr. Pounderly that the front of the staff was not, and could not be, united; and, when the unpalatable truth was at last forced in upon him, he went about his daily duties once more wringing his hands and whispering, “lamentable, lamentable.”