Three days later, the prep room is arranged for evening work: desks stand in straight rows, lamps burn steadily, and exercise books lie open beneath an orderly register. Paul finds a place among the younger boys as the Prefect checks each entry.
Prefect
Foot’s preparation is recorded as complete. His work is satisfactory, and his standing will be judged from this register.
The Prefect turns a page with careful fingertips. Columns record completed Greek and Latin work, punctuality, and the privileges attached to reliable preparation. The arrangement makes school discipline resemble an accountant’s orderly ledger.
The door opens before the room can settle. Anthony Chenevix-Trench enters carrying a second notebook under one arm, his expression composed and his arrival timed to interrupt the register’s authority.
Anthony Chenevix-Trench
Your register is useful, Prefect, but it is not decisive. My figures will govern Foot’s standing, including what privileges he may receive in future.
Prefect
The records concern completed work, sir. They are not an account of the money order, which has already been settled and separately filed.
Anthony Chenevix-Trench
Precisely. The money order is not under discussion. This concerns preparation, conduct, and the privileges that follow from my assessment rather than yours.