He saw Coote and his watered ribbon being presented by Cartwright, and he caught sight of Pledge looking up and down the room, possibly in search of his Georgie.
All this he saw, and yet could not stir.

Only when he saw Dick descend the platform and slowly return towards the door, did the spell yield and permit him to escape to the Quad.
There half an hour later he was found by Pledge.
"Hullo, youngster; you didn't turn up at the pantomime, then ?" "No," said Heathcote, "I didn't want to." "What! not want to be shaken hands with and blessed by the holy Mansfield?
You naughty boy, to neglect such a short cut to peace and plenty!" "I don't want to toady to anybody," said Heathcote, bitterly.
"Of course you don't.

But I'm afraid your courage will cost you something in impositions and detentions, and that sort of thing." "What do I care?
I'd sooner have any amount of them than be a humbug and truckle to anybody." "Every one," said Pledge, with an approving smile, "made sure when your friend Richardson came to do homage, that you would come too.

I was quite pleased to find I knew better and was right." "I don't know what made Dick go," said Heathcote.
"No?
Can't you guess?
Isn't Dick a good boy, and doesn't he always do what good boys do ?" Heathcote laughed.
"I don't think he's very much in that line." "Well, he imitates it very well," said Pledge, watching his man carefully, "and I've no doubt he will find it worth his while." "What do you mean ?" inquired Heathcote, looking up.
"I mean that Mansfield is picking his men for the 3rd Football Fifteen, and I'm afraid you won't be in it, my boy." Heathcote said nothing, but walked on to the school door where he and his patron parted company; the latter proceeding to his study with a particularly amiable smile on his countenance; the former repairing to the adjourned meeting of the "Select Sociables," there to hear high praises of his loyalty and steadfastness, and to partake of a very select contraband supper, which, with the questionable festivities that followed, was good for neither the body nor the soul of our unheroic young hero..