This standard is ever varying, though it changes only slowly and
little by little; and, subject only to such standard, it is the leading
boys for the time being who give the tone to all the rest, and make
the School either a noble institution for the training of Christian
Englishmen, or a place where a young boy will get more evil than he
would if he were turned out to make his way in London streets, or
anything between these two extremes.
The change for the worse in the School-house, however, didn't press very
heavily on our youngsters for some time. They were in a good bedroom,
where slept the only prepostor left who was able to keep thorough order,
and their study was in his passage. So, though they were fagged more or
less, and occasionally kicked or cuffed by the bullies, they were, on
the whole, well off; and the fresh, brave school-life, so full of games,
adventures, and good-fellowship, so ready at forgetting, so capacious
at enjoying, so bright at forecasting, outweighed a thousand-fold their
troubles with the master of their form, and the occasional ill-usage
of the big boys in the house. It wasn't till some year or so after the
events recorded above that the prepostor of their room and passage left.
None of the other sixth-form boys would move into their passage, and, to
the disgust and indignation of Tom and East, one morning after breakfast
they were seized upon by Flashman, and made to carry down his books and
furniture into the unoccupied study, which he had taken.
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