Question -
Answer -
Taplow comes to meet Mr Crocker-Harris when he meets Frank. From his conversation with Taplow, Frank realises that the boy does not like Mr Crocker-Harris. Frank then confirms with Taplow, “You sound a little bitter, Taplow.” He then pretends to console him by reasoning that he would get his remove the next day for taking on extra work. Taplow vents his dislike for Mr Harris and says that he is “hardly human”.
But after saying so, he apologises to Frank for talking too much. Frank pretends to be unhappy but asks Taplow to “repeat” what Mr Harris had said to him. Taplow imitates him. Frank pretends to look strict and asks him to be.quiet. He then asks Taplow at what time he was supposed to meet Mr Crocker-Harris. He then tells Taplow that Mr Crocker-Harris was already ten minutes late and suggests that Taplow could go and play golf.
Taplow is shocked and expresses his apprehension if Mr Crocker-Harris should know. Frank envies the effect Mr Crocker-Harris seems to have on boys in the class; they seem to be scared to death of him. Taplow confesses that Mr Crocker-Harris, unlike any other person, does not care for being liked. Frank attempts to instigate Taplow by deriding students for using the teacher’s need to be liked to their own advantage. Taplow remarks that a few teachers were sadists, and Mr Crocker-Harris was worse because he had no feelings.
When Taplow recounts the episode when he had laughed at Mr Crocker-Harris’s jokes, and Mr Crocker-Harris wanted ‘ him to explain it to the rest of the class, but Frank just laughs at that. He, thus, seems to enjoy the low opinion Taplow has of Mr Crocker-Harris.