War! War! War! I thought everything was going too smoothly so tonight we have had a regular ‘bust up’ before which all the events of the day pale into insignificance, while Hobson and myself are fairly ‘in the Soup’.
Put shortly the cause was this, as I first heard of it. On Saturday after the match, Graham and Marriott went up and had a bath in the top bathroom, an extremely cheeky thing to do on Marriott’s part since he is a ┬¢ boarder and no ┬¢ boarder ever comes upstairs in Grant’s. Furthermore they were in the bathroom together (never allowed) when Mrs Thresher came up. She was exceedingly indigent and told me. I advised her to tell Father when he came back which she did and Father lectured Graham and Marriott this morning and told them what he thought and forbad them to use the bath again. The incident appeared closed though I heard some talking.
This afternoon Hobson just before School when we were in Inner together said he had come to the conclusion I ought to know that the affair was much more serious. Not only had Graham and Marriott had a bath but also Wyatt (an OW who was up-Homeboarders) had come ‘up’ the House at their invitation (in itself a gross offence as no-one but myself has the right to ask anyone and then only Old Grantites) and had also had a bath whilst Miles had kept ‘cave’.
Poor Hobson, Miles is a personal friend of his and has stayed with him in the holidays. He had a bad time all this morning making up his mind whether he ought to tell me. I am so glad he did and I told him so and thanked him saying that he had done quite right but that I knew the effort it must have cost him. In consequence I was frightfully worried all the afternoon what I ought to do. After thinking the matter over very carefully in all its bearing and with all the alternatives I reluctantly came to the conclusion that I should have to act and have them all three up and tan them.
At 7 o’clock after tea I went and told Father when he came in exactly what had happened since the morning, and though he perfectly agreed with me he thought the matter almost too serious for the Monitors and decided to take the matter into his own hands. Thus a great burden was lifted off my shoulders.
At 9 Father had Graham ‘up’ and tanned him and then talked to Miles for some time. Hobson and myself sitting were in Inner and ostensibly working, though in reality both thinking of one thing. At 9.30 I went round the Dormitories and when I came back (I couldn’t help smiling at the expectant faces of the Outerites when I came back, they expected Miles) Hobson told me Graham had come in and asked him point blank ‘Did you tell the Old man?’ to which Hobson replied ‘Yes I did’. All Chiswicks were buzzing like a steam engine and, as Hobson remarked ‘we shall come in for our fair share of hatred’. Outer are supporting Middle as far as I can make out and Hobson and myself I suppose are most unpopular.