Their reputation as a house was on its trial; they were boycotted by the doctor, and held up as a warning to evil-doers.

They resolved to make themselves a warning to good and evil-doers alike that day, and show the doctor and everyone else that the spirit was not yet knocked out of them.
The half-holiday at Railsford's, as we have said, began under the new _regime_ immediately after breakfast, and ended at one o'clock, so that the farce of morning school did not interpose to chill the ardour of the combatants.

The whole house assembled in flannels in honour of the occasion.

The weather was very much like what the School had had a week ago; if anything, the ground was hardly in quite as good condition.

At any rate, it was felt that, as far as externals went, the test between the two days' performances would be a fair one.