Tuesday mornings at Wrykyn were devoted--up to the quarter to eleveninterval--to the study of mathematics. That is to say, instead of goingto their form-rooms, the various forms visited the out-of-the-way nooksand dens at the top of the buildings where the mathematical masterswere wont to lurk, and spent a pleasant two hours there playing roundgames or reading fiction under the desk. Mathematics being one of thefew branches of school learning which are of any use in after life,nobody ever dreamed of doing any work in that direction, least of allO'Hara. It was a theory of O'Hara's that he came to school to enjoyhimself. To have done any work during a mathematics lesson would havestruck him as a positive waste of time, especially as he was in MrBanks' class. Mr Banks was a master who simply cried out to be ragged.

　　Everything he did and said seemed to invite the members of his class toamuse themselves, and they amused themselves accordingly. One of theadvantages of being under him was that it was possible to predict to anicety the moment when one would be sent out of the room. This wasfound very convenient.

　　O'Hara's ally, Moriarty, was accustomed to take his mathematics with MrMorgan, whose room was directly opposite Mr Banks'. With Mr Morgan itwas not quite so easy to date one's expulsion from the room underordinary circumstances, and in the normal wear and tear of themorning's work, but there was one particular action which could alwaysbe relied upon to produce the desired result.

　　In one corner of the room stood a gigantic globe. The problem--how didit get into the room?--was one that had exercised the minds of manygenerations of Wrykinians. It was much too big to have come through thedoor. Some thought that the block had been built round it, others thatit had been placed in the room in infancy, and had since grown. Torefer the question to Mr Morgan would, in six cases out of ten, meaninstant departure from the room. But to make the event certain, it wasnecessary to grasp the globe firmly and spin it round on its axis. Thatalways proved successful. Mr Morgan would dash down from his dais,address the offender in spirited terms, and give him his marchingorders at once and without further trouble.

　　Moriarty had arranged with O'Hara to set the globe rolling at ten sharpon this particular morning. O'Hara would then so arrange matters withMr Banks that they could meet in the passage at that hour, when O'Harawished to impart to his friend his information concerning the League.

　　O'Hara promised to be at the trysting-place at the hour mentioned.

　　He did not think there would be any difficulty about it. The news thatthe League had been revived meant that there would be trouble in thevery near future, and the prospect of trouble was meat and drink to theIrishman in O'Hara. Consequently he felt in particularly good form formathematics (as he interpreted the word). He thought that he would haveno difficulty whatever in keeping Mr Banks bright and amused. The firststep had to be to arouse in him an interest in life, to bring him intoa frame of mind which would induce him to look severely rather thanleniently on the next offender. This was effected as follows:--It was Mr Banks' practice to set his class sums to work out, and, aftersome three-quarters of an hour had elapsed, to pass round the form whathe called "solutions". These were large sheets of paper, on which hehad worked out each sum in his neat handwriting to a happy ending. Whenthe head of the form, to whom they were passed first, had finished withthem, he would make a slight tear in one corner, and, having done so,hand them on to his neighbour. The neighbour, before giving them to_his_ neighbour, would also tear them slightly. In time they wouldreturn to their patentee and proprietor, and it was then that thingsbecame exciting.

　　"Who tore these solutions like this?" asked Mr Banks, in the repressedvoice of one who is determined that he _will_ be calm.

　　No answer. The tattered solutions waved in the air.

　　He turned to Harringay, the head of the form.

　　"Harringay, did you tear these solutions like this?"Indignant negative from Harringay. What he had done had been to makethe small tear in the top left-hand corner. If Mr Banks had asked, "Didyou make this small tear in the top left-hand corner of thesesolutions?" Harringay would have scorned to deny the impeachment. Butto claim the credit for the whole work would, he felt, be an act offlat dishonesty, and an injustice to his gifted _collaborateurs._"No, sir," said Harringay.

　　"Browne!""Yes, sir?""Did you tear these solutions in this manner?""No, sir."And so on through the form.

　　Then Harringay rose after the manner of the debater who is consciousthat he is going to say the popular thing.

　　"Sir--" he began.

　　"Sit down, Harringay."Harringay gracefully waved aside the absurd command.

　　"Sir," he said, "I think I am expressing the general consensus ofopinion among my--ahem--fellow-students, when I say that this classsincerely regrets the unfortunate state the solutions have managed toget themselves into.""Hear, hear!" from a back bench.

　　"It is with--""Sit _down_, Harringay.""It is with heartfelt--""Harringay, if you do not sit down--""As your ludship pleases." This _sotto voce_.

　　And Harringay resumed his seat amidst applause. O'Hara got up.

　　"As me frind who has just sat down was about to observe--""Sit down, O'Hara. The whole form will remain after the class.""--the unfortunate state the solutions have managed to get thimsilvesinto is sincerely regretted by this class. Sir, I think I am ixprissingthe general consensus of opinion among my fellow-students w............