'Alright, Jack, on the count of three. One, two, three, go!' And to my surprise they began fondling each other's cocks (fortunately Gilbert was left-handed) and, sure enough, within moments they both began to spend with the first spurtings of white juice shooting out of their pricks like miniature fountains.

Pelham was about to speak and no doubt halt the proceedings, but I put my finger to my mouth and motioned him towards the door. When we were back in the corridor and I had shut the sanitarium door, he exclaimed: 'Why didn't you let me stop those two dirty beasts?'

'Look, we've had a jolly time and those two will forget the pleasures of solitary vice once Doctor White introduces them to nice girls like Lucy!' I said, feeling generous to one and all in anticipation of frolics the next night.

'Well, I don't know about that,' said Pelham with a dubious note to his voice.

'Live and let live!' I said cheerily as we strolled back to our studies.

'Plato believed that punishment brought wisdom,' remarked Pelham somewhat pompously.

'Ah yes, and Aristotle viewed it as a kind of medicine,' I replied gaily.

'But then Oscar Wilde has written that punishment is often more brutalising than the crime-which I find difficult to believe,' said Pelham.

'I'm not so sure,' I said thoughtfully. 'Would it have made any difference if you had swished young Bell! I have grave doubts about that and you remember what Doctor White is always telling us. Mankind's efforts to enforce conformity in social morality has had a truly disastrous record of failure.'

'l suppose so, for it is true that no-one has yet devised a system of punishment that immunises society from evil or revolt.'

'So there you are. Good night, Pelham. I've just remembered that there's only a morning's lessons to be slept through tomorrow, as in the afternoon we are playing cricket against the Savages from High Barnet.'