Page 94 - of-human-bondage-

XVI

year passed, and when Philip came to the school the
A old masters were all in their places; but a good many
changes had taken place notwithstanding their stubborn re-
sistance, none the less formidable because it was concealed
under an apparent desire to fall in with the new head’s ideas.
Though the form-masters still taught French to the lower
school, another master had come, with a degree of doctor
of philology from the University of Heidelberg and a re-
cord of three years spent in a French lycee, to teach French
to the upper forms and German to anyone who cared to
take it up instead of Greek. Another master was engaged
to teach mathematics more systematically than had been
found necessary hitherto. Neither of these was ordained.
This was a real revolution, and when the pair arrived the
older masters received them with distrust. A laboratory had
been fitted up, army classes were instituted; they all said
the character of the school was changing. And heaven only
knew what further projects Mr. Perkins turned in that un-
tidy head of his. The school was small as public schools go,
there were not more than two hundred boarders; and it was
difficult for it to grow larger, for it was huddled up against
the Cathedral; the precincts, with the exception of a house
in which some of the masters lodged, were occupied by the
cathedral clergy; and there was no more room for building.