Was he going to drive them out single-handed?
Was he going to arrest their leader?
Or was he going to make a speech?
As soon as they perceived he was going to do neither the first nor the second, and knew he was going to do the last, they groaned.

They could have endured a stampede round the Quad; they could have brought themselves to see their leader immolated in a good cause; but to have to stand still and hear Jupiter speak--what had they done to deserve that?
"Look here, you youngsters," began Mansfield, needing not even a motion of his hand to command silence, "I've not come as an enemy, but a friend." "What will it be like," mused Coote, "when he comes as an enemy ?" "And I've only a very few words to say to you." Was it a sigh of relief or disappointment that escaped the Den?
Mansfield didn't know; he wasn't well up in sighs.
"There's a great deal goes on in the Den that isn't right.

Some of you youngsters think the only use of school rules is to break them, and that it's a fine thing to disobey the monitors.

You're wrong, and, unless you give up that sort of thing, you'll find it out.

The school rules are made to be kept, and the monitors are appointed to see they _are_ kept; and any boy that says otherwise is an enemy to Templeton, and he will be treated accordingly.