Out of all the teachers in the school, Canon was the one who demanded the most respect. In his presence, no one dared to talk, nor breathe loudly for fear of attempting defiance. When he approached it was as if the world had gone into mute. Thunder-struck boys spoke tersely in controlled whispers, and only when he was completely out of earshot would they speak normally again.
Between classes there was always five minutes' uproar. The boys fought amidst derisive voices, laughed over crude jokes, and stuck gum under old desks. However, in the minutes before Canon's class, everything was stil…
