My cold continuing bad I stayed in this morning and did not go out until 1:30…
Later went to Forbes this afternoon who made us take lengthy notes all the afternoon which saved me from going to sleep. The rest of the day has been a record of bloodshed. Hallward got his appeal as I always expected that he would, but…two little Rigaudites, were shown up by Canon Beeching for misbehaving themselves in Abbey yesterday afternoon to Gow, who handed them on the case for us to deal with. Consequently we had them up and, of course, under the circumstances they had nothing to say except that they were only talking. ES Wood, however, had also noticed them yesterday and consequently Ward could not take their excuse, and they were accordingly executed, Bird receiving as round a thrashing as he has ever had, and, I should say, at the hands of young Gow, I am precious glad it was not me.
I did not go down to Chiswicks but had dinner with the family and was ranted at by Hobson at 8:30 who came to tell me he had taken a crib [sheet] from Whitmore (of course) right under his nose. I told father and of course there was but one remedy so we had to have him up. He really seemed frightened, and like a crushed worm, all the go taken out of him. I have developed a deadly calm on these occasions, speaking very slowly and severely which I find effective. I said ‘you have been shown up to me for using a ‘crib’ in Prep tonight. Have you any excuse to make?’
ÔÇ£I did not know that it was a House offence.ÔÇØ
‘Of course it is a House Offence and a very bad one.’
He murmured something about other people not being had up and tanned for it. I looked straight through him (!) and asked idly if he had any other excuse to make. He said ‘no’, so we sent him out and spent the interim in squabbling who should execute; I was firm and said I was not going to come down into the cold for nothing, and refused to toss for it, I couldn’t resist a parting shot at Whitmore; when we had him in again, I remarked ‘Of course we shall have to tan you. You are a public nuisance. Go out.’
I gave him a pretty sound thrashing which he richly deserved and I hurt him somewhat. My gravity was rather upset, as the solemn procession started from Inner, by seeing the solemn gravity of Minchin just outside Chiswicks, but I sternly repressed the inclination to smile and stalked gauntly on. Going round Dormitories, I asked after the Professor’s cold and he answered that it had ‘descended to his foot’, he is suffering I may say from a swollen foot.
At 9:30 came a message from Ward for notices of Deb. Soc. for the Elizabethan which kept me busy. I heard from Chappie this morning, poor child, he seems in coxing difficulties at present; after a general wail he continues ‘the full catalogue of my enormities is that I have rammed the bank several times, bumped one or two inoffensive boats, rammed several rafts etc and (the crowning sorrow) held up the Varsity VIII (fine ┬ú1 1s). Gordon Reed also remarked that Chappie seemed to the descending the coxing ladder.