"
"And I'll get Mivart to second you. I can put all the fellows straight
concerning you, and, by Jove, it's the least I can do! I'll make a clean
breast of it to them all to-night before the election comes on."
"Oh no, you won't! I'd rather lose the captaincy than that. Besides,
Aspinall asked me not to do anything bar refuse you your cap."
"I've been an insufferable cad," said Acton, with a hot blush, "but you
shall be captain in any case."
Acton saw Mivart, and whether he told him the whole history of his
quarrel with Bourne or not, I cannot say; anyhow, Acton prevailed on him
to second Phil. Mivart was a very good fellow, as I said before, and he
thoroughly believed that Bourne would make a better captain than he
himself would, so he said he would be delighted to back Phil up to any
extent, since Phil was not now the jealous bounder he had so long been
considered.
I myself, as the retiring captain, took the chair in the Sixth Form
room to see the election of my successor through with all due solemnity.
Acton got up, and though he was very nervous, he said out straight what
he had resolved to say.
"I propose Phil Bourne for captain in place of Carr, and I'll tell you
why. I consider him the most suitable fellow to take our old captain's
place. Many of you may be--will be--surprised to hear me propose Bourne,
for between us two, as you all know, there has been no love lost. But in
all the dreary business I have been the utter cad and Bourne the other
thing.
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