ard sign betrayed the fact.

"I am willing to bet that they kept you more strict at Eton than the
Doctor kept us."

Lorimer set down his glass and gave a knowing wink which, at another
time, he would have been swift to condemn in his left-hand neighbor.

"They tried; but they couldn' do much about it. Besides, there was
college, you know."

"We all have experienced university discipline," Dudley suggested. "It
is swift and powerful, and nobody ever knows where it will hit next."

Lorimer appeared to be pondering the matter. Then he turned to Lloyd
Avalons.

"D' you ever 'sperience university discipline?" he demanded, with grave
anxiety.

Lloyd Avalons flushed angrily, and Thayer judged that it was time to
interpose.

"University discipline is more a matter of theory than of fact," he said
lightly. "If you want real discipline, you'd better go through a course
of voice training. How much was my allowance, the last of the time in
Berlin, Lorimer? My salamanders were mere tadpoles."

Lorimer caught at the familiar word.

"_Ein! Zwei! Drei! Salamander! Salamander! Salamander!_" he cried
gayly. "It makesh me homesick for the good ol' days in Berlin."

"You were over, in January; weren't you?" Lloyd Avalons asked.

"Yes, aft' a fashion; but 't wasn' the ol' fashion. A studen' an' a
married man's two differen' things. I took Mrs. Lorimer everywhere an'
to show her grat'tude she took me in han'." And Lorimer's own laugh rang
out merrily at what seemed to him a superlatively good joke.

The next moment, Thayer's level voice, low, yet so perfectly trained
that it reached the farthest corner of the room, broke in upon Lorimer's
mirth and quenched it. There was no bitterness in his voice, no
excitement; he spoke as quietly as if he had been wishing his friend
good-morning.

"It's a pity she isn't here to take you in hand now, Lorimer," he said,
with a smile. "As long as she isn't, I think perhaps I'll do it,
myself."

The deliberate, even tone steadied Lorimer somewhat. He pulled himself
together and stared haughtily at Thayer.

"What do you mean?" he demanded. "I don't understand you."

There was a short silence while it pleased Lorimer to imagine that he
was measuring his puny strength against the power of the other. Then,
before Thayer's gray eyes, his own eyes drooped.

"I think you do understand, Lorimer," Thayer said calmly. "If not, we
can talk it over outside. You know we are due at Mrs. Dane's at ten