throw his comments into a tabular
form, which assumed the following shape - only that of course I have changed the
names. One cross in each square was to indicate occasional offence; two stood
for frequent and three for habitual delinquency.
 
Drinking Swearing
Smoking beer at the and Notes
Swan and Obscene
Bottle Language
Smith 0 0 xx Will smoke
next half.
Brown xxx 0 x
Jones x xx xxx 3
Robinson xx x x
 
And thus through the whole school.
    Of course in justice to Ernest, Dr. Skinner would be bound over to secrecy
before a word was said to him - but Ernest being thus protected, he could not be
furnished with the facts too completely.
 

                                   Chapter 43

So important did Theobald consider this matter that he made a special journey to
Roughborough before the half year began. It was a relief to have him out of the
house, but as his destination was not mentioned, Ernest guessed where he had
gone.
    To this day he considers his conduct at this crisis to have been one of the
most serious lâches of his life - one which he can never think of without shame
and indignation. He says he ought to have run away from home. But what good
could he have done if he had? He would have been caught, brought back, and
examined two days later instead of two days earlier. A boy of barely sixteen
cannot stand against the moral pressure of a father and mother who have always
oppressed him, any more than he can cope physically with a powerful full-grown
man. True, he may allow himself to be killed rather than yield, but this is
being so morbidly heroic as to come close round again to cowardice; for it is
little else than suicide, which is universally condemned as cowardly.
    On the re-assembling of the school it became apparent that something had
gone wrong. Dr. Skinner called the boys together and with much pomp
excommunicated Mrs. Cross and Mrs. Jones, by declaring their shops to be out of
bounds. The street in which the Swan and Bottle was was also forbidden. The
vices of drinking and smoking, therefore, were clearly aimed at, and before
prayers Dr. Skinner spoke a few impressive words about the abominable sin of
using bad language. Ernest's feelings can be imagined.
    Next day at the hour when the daily punishments were read out, though there
had not yet been time for him to have offended, Ernest Pontifex was declared to
have incurred every punishment which the school provided for evil-doers. He was
placed on the idle list for the whole half year, and on perpetual detentions;