His frame of mind was not devotional, and his feelings of bottled-up wrath at what was past, and dejected anticipation of what was to come, left between them no room for interest in or meaning for the words in which his schoolfellows were joining.

The only satisfaction morning prayers brought to him was that, for ten minutes at least, no one could harry him; and that at least was something to be grateful for.
Morning chapel at Willoughby was supposed to be at 7:15, and was at 7:15 all the months of the year except May, June, and July, when, in consideration of the early-morning rowing and bathing, it was postponed for three-quarters of an hour--a concession made up for by the sacrifice of the usual half-hour's interval between breakfast and first lesson.
This arrangement was all against Parson, who, if the half-hour had been still available, could at least have skimmed through his Caesar, and perhaps have begged a friend to help him with the French verbs, and possibly even have had it out with Pilbury for his morning's diversion.
As it was, there was no opportunity for the performance of any one of these duties, and at the sound of the pitiless bell he slunk into first lesson, feeling himself a doomed man.
His one hope was Telson.

Telson sat next him in class, and, he knew well, would help him if he could.
"Telson," he groaned, directly he found himself beside his faithful ally, "I've not looked at it!" Telson whistled.

"There'll be a row," he muttered, consolingly; "it's a jolly hard bit." "Haven't you got the crib ?" Telson looked uncomfortable.

"Riddell caught me with it and made me give it up." "What on earth business has Riddell with your cribs, I'd like to know ?" exclaimed Parson, indignant, not at all on the question of morality, but because the last straw on which he had relied for scrambling through his Caesar had failed him.
"He didn't take it, but he advised me to give it up." "And you were fool enough to give in to him ?" "Well, he made out it wasn't honourable to use cribs," said Telson.
"Grandmother!" snarled Parson.