As soon as he had changed, he went over to "the Bull's" study. He had already decided that it would be better to alter the condition of the match once and for all. It meant to him the complete failure of all his plans. He had set out to lead the House to victory. In the end not only had he retired, he had actually surrendered. "The Bull" received him kindly. "Ah, come round about the match, Caruthers?" "Yes, sir. I think we had better play a Two Cock in future. Three houses are a good deal more than we can take on." "Well, of course, I had seen that all along," said "the Bull." "It _is_ too much. The conditions are so changed. Of course, we can't do this without the consent of the Games Committee. I think we had better have a meeting to-morrow afternoon. You might tell the others, will you?" On the next day after lunch the Games Committee met in "the Bull's" study. "The Bull" stood with his back to the fireplace. "As you know, I have called you here this afternoon about the Three Cock. Of course conditions have so changed that it would be no reflection on the School House----" "The Bull" went on. Gordon sat forward on the sofa listening subconsciously. Scenes rose before his mind. Of Mansell two years back, after Richard's Thirds, saying: "Wait till 1915." Of Hazelton in the dormitory saying: "Our day's coming, and you'll see it, Caruthers." Everyone had expected this year to a triumph. And here he was signing the death warrant of School House football. "The Bull" had finished speaking.... A resolution was passed.... "It is a lovely day," said "the Bull," "and I don't want to keep you in. I expect you all want to be out doing something." Gordon got out of the study somehow or other. One of the Games Committee came up to him. "Jolly good idea of 'the Bull's,' I think. It was much too big a job for you. Much better arrangement." "Oh, much." Gordon went back to the old games study, the very walls of which seemed eloquent with voices of the dead. The rest of the House had gone for a run. He was all alone. His head fell forward on his hands. The captaincy he had tried so hard to gain had ended in pitiable failure. It was the desolation, the utter desolation!... Of all that he had worked for during those four years nothing remained, nothing.