eight o'clock
Beech would go on any kind of errand for him and would willingly have died for him had it been required of him -- he did indeed during the hours that he was left in peace in his dormitory , picture to himself wonderful scenes in which he saved Peter from horrible deaths and for his own part perished . It may have been that he clung to Peter partly because there was more safety in his neighbourhood , for amongst the lower school boys at any rate , very considerable fear of Peter was to be noticed , but Beech 's large eyes raised to the other boy 's face or his eager smile as he did something that Peter required of him , spoke devotion . Beech Minimus was forced , however , for the good of his soul , to suffer especial torture between the hours of eight and nine in the evening . It was the custom that the Lower School should retire from preparation at eight o'clock , it being supposed that at that hour the Lower School went to bed . But Authority , blinded by trustful good nature and being engaged at that hour with its wine and dinner , left the issue to chance and the Gods , and human nature being what it is , the Lower School triumphed in freedom . There was a large , empty class room at the back of the building where much noise might safely be made , and in this place and at this hour followed the nightly torture of Beech and his minute companions -- that torture named by the Gods , `` Discipline , '' by the Authorities , `` Boys will be Boys , '' by the Parent , `` Learning to be a Man , '' and by the Lower School `` A Rag . '' Beech and his companions had not as yet a name for it .