The junior cane was no picnic. I stood up, one prefect tucked my shirt in, and the other passed me my blazer. They escorted me back to the form room with my hands on my head. I hadn’t been allowed to wipe my eyes, and the rest of the form knew what had happened.
After the end of the day, when I went to collect the letter to take home and to sign the punishment book the headmaster said that although I was the top boy in my year group, and had done a lot for the school, and my brother was deputy head boy, he had to treat me like anybody else. I told him, without being prompted, that I was very sorry for being so stupid.