Boys remembered how proud and sensitive Rollitt had been, and how dreadful was the accusation against him.

Suppose he had done something desperate?
He had cared little enough for danger when all went well.

Would he be likely to care more, now that the School was in league against him, pointing to him as a thief, and hounding him out of its society?
All sorts of dreadful possibilities occurred both to masters and boys; and all the while a feeling of fierce resentment was growing against the fellows whose accusations had been the cause of all the mischief.
Dangle, as he crossed the Green to class, was hooted all the way.
Brinkman was followed about with derisive cheers, and cries of "Look out! Corder's coming"; and Clapperton, when he appeared, was silently cut.

Fellows went out of the way to avoid him; and the chair on either side of him was left vacant in Hall.
"Did you hear," said Ramshaw to his neighbour at the prefects' table at dinner-time, "that they've begun to drag the lake to-day ?" A grim silence greeted the question.

Fellows tried to go on with their meal.