As he knocked at the door the noise suddenly ceased, there was a moment's silence, and then a murmur in a low tone, followed by a scuffling of feet and the overturning of a chair.
"Who's there?
you can't come in!" shouted the owner of the den.
"I don't want to," answered Diggory, through the keyhole.

"I've brought your match-box that I picked up in the 'quad.'" "Oh, it's only a kid," said the voice of Fletcher senior; and the next instant the door was unlocked by Thurston, who opened it about six inches, and immediately thrust his body into the aperture, as though to prevent the possibility of the visitor getting any sight of the interior of the room.
"Oh, thanks; you're a brick," he said, taking the box, and immediately closed the door and turned the key.
Diggory was retracing his steps along the passage, wondering what could be the object of all this secrecy, when he nearly ran into the school captain.
"Hullo, young man!" said the latter, "where have you been ?" "To Thurston's study." "What have you been there for ?" demanded Allingford sharply, with a sudden change in his tone and manner.
"Only to give him his match-box that I picked up in the 'quad.'" The captain eyed the speaker narrowly, as though half inclined to doubt the truth of this explanation; then, apparently satisfied with the honest expression of the small boy's face, told him to get down to supper.
The latter wandered off, wondering more than ever what could have been the object of the private gathering in Thurston's study which he had just interrupted.
"It's what I told you before," remarked Carton, when Diggory chanced to mention what had happened.

"Thirsty's going to the dogs, and I believe big Fletcher's got a lot to do with it.

Allingford can't interfere with them as long as they keep to themselves.

I don't know what they do, but I shouldn't be surprised if there is a rare old kick-up one of these fine days." Mischief certainly was brewing, and the "kick-up" came sooner than even Carton himself expected..