The boys came nearer, shouting an opprobrious word. At last they moved to windward, ostentatiously holding their noses.

`That's pretty,' said Beetle. `They'll be sayin' our house stinks next.'

When they returned from the baths, dampheaded, languid, at peace with the world, Beetle's forecast came only too true. They were met in the corridor by a fag--a common, Lower-Second fag--who at arm's length handed them a carefully wrapped piece of soap `with the compliments of King's house.'

`Hold on,' said Stalky, checking immediate attack. `Who put you up to this, Nixon? Rattray and White? [Those were two leaders in King's house.] Thank you. There's no answer.'

`Oh, it's too sickening to have this kind o' rot shoved on to a chap. What's the sense of it? What's the fun of it?' said M`Turk.

`It will go on to the end of the term, though.' Beetle wagged his head sorrowfully. He had worn many jests threadbare on his own account.

In a few days it became an established legend of the school that Prout's house did not wash and were therefore noisome. Mr. King was pleased to smile succulently in form when one of his boys drew aside from Beetle with certain gestures.

`There seems to be some disability attaching to you, my Beetle, or else why should Burton major withdraw, so to speak, the hem of his garments? I confess I am still in the dark. Will some one be good enough to enlighten me?'

Naturally, he was enlightened by half the form.

`Extraordinary! Most extraordinary! However, each house has its traditions, with which I would not for the world interfere. We have a prejudice in favour of washing. Go on, Beetle--from `Fugurtha tamen'-- and, if you can, avoid the more flagrant forms of guessing.'

Prout's house was furious because Macrea's and Hartopp's houses joined King's to insult them. They called a house-meeting after dinner--an excited and angry meeting of all save the prefects, whose dignity, though they sympathised, did not allow them to attend. They read ungrammatical resolutions, and made speeches beginning, `Gentlemen, we have met on this occasion,' and ending with, `It's a beastly shame,' precisely as houses have done since time and schools began.

Number Five study attended, with its usual air of bland patronage. At last M`Turk, of the lanthorn jaws, delivered himself:

`You jabber and jaw and burble, and that's about all you can do. What's the good of it? King's house'll only gloat because they've drawn you, and King will gloat, too. Besides, that resolution of Orrin's is chock- full of bad grammar, and King 'll gloat over that.'

`I thought you an' Beetle would put it right, an'--an' we'd post it in the corridor,' said the composer meekly.

`Par si je le connai. I'm not goin' to meddle with the biznai,' said Beetle. `It's a gloat for King's house. Turkey's quite right.'

`Well, won't Stalky, then?'

But Stalky puffed out his cheeks and squinted down his nose in the style of Panurge, and all he said was, `Oh, you abject burblers!'

`You're three beastly scabs!' was the instant retort of the democracy, and they went out amid execrations.