and，asoldBrookehadprophesied，thehousebydegreesbrokeupintosmallsetsandparties，andlostthestrongfeelingoffellowshipwhichhesetsomuchstoreby，andwithitmuchoftheprowessingamesandtheleadinallschoolmatterswhichhehaddonesomuchtokeepup。
Innoplaceintheworldhasindividualcharactermoreweightthanatapublicschool。Rememberthis，Ibeseechyou，allyouboyswhoaregettingintotheupperforms。Nowisthetimeinallyourlives，probably，whenyoumayhavemorewideinfluenceforgoodorevilonthesocietyyouliveinthanyouevercanhaveagain。Quityourselveslikemen，then；speakup，andstrikeoutifnecessary，forwhatsoeveristrue，andmanly，andlovely，andofgoodreport；nevertrytobepopular，butonlytodoyourdutyandhelpotherstodotheirs，andyoumayleavethetoneoffeelingintheschoolhigherthanyoufoundit，andsobedoinggoodwhichnolivingsoulcanmeasuretogenerationsofyourcountrymenyetunborn。Forboysfollowoneanotherinherdslikesheep，forgoodorevil；theyhatethinking，andhaverarelyanysettledprinciples。Everyschool，indeed，hasitsowntraditionarystandardofrightandwrong，whichcannotbetransgressedwithimpunity，markingcertainthingsaslowandblackguard，andcertainothersaslawfulandright。Thisstandardisevervarying，thoughitchangesonlyslowlyandlittlebylittle；and，subjectonlytosuchstandard，itistheleadingboysforthetimebeingwhogivethetonetoalltherest，andmaketheSchooleitheranobleinstitutionforthetrainingofChristianEnglishmen，oraplacewhereayoungboywillgetmoreevilthanhewouldifhewereturnedouttomakehiswayinLondonstreets，oranythingbetweenthesetwoextremes。
ThechangefortheworseintheSchool-house，however，didn’tpressveryheavilyonouryoungstersforsometime。Theywereinagoodbedroom，whereslepttheonlyprepostorleftwhowasabletokeepthoroughorder，andtheirstudywasinhispassage。
So，thoughtheywerefaggedmoreorless，andoccasionallykickedorcuffedbythebullies，theywere，onthewhole，welloff；andthefresh，braveschool-life，sofullofgames，adventures，andgood-fellowship，soreadyatforgetting，socapaciousatenjoying，sobrightatforecasting，outweighedathousand-foldtheirtroubleswiththemasteroftheirform，andtheoccasionalill-usageofthebigboysinthehouse。Itwasn’ttillsomeyearorsoaftertheeventsrecordedabovethattheprepostoroftheirroomandpassageleft。Noneoftheothersixth-formboyswouldmoveintotheirpassage，and，tothedisgustandindignationofTomandEast，onemorningafterbreakfasttheywereseizeduponbyFlashman，andmadetocarrydownhisbooksandfurnitureintotheunoccupiedstudy，whichhehadtaken。FromthistimetheybegantofeeltheweightofthetyrannyofFlashmanandhisfriends，and，nowthattroublehadcomehometotheirowndoors，begantolookoutforsympathizersandpartnersamongsttherestofthefags；andmeetingsoftheoppressedbegantobeheld，andmurmurstoarise，andplotstobelaidastohowtheyshouldfreethemselvesandbeavengedontheirenemies。
Whilematterswereinthisstate，EastandTomwereoneeveningsittingintheirstudy。Theyhaddonetheirworkforfirstlesson，andTomwasinabrownstudy，brooding，likeayoungWilliamTell，uponthewrongsoffagsingeneral，andhisowninparticular。