ave, and to
please the Doctor; and I want to carry away just as much Latin and Greek
as will take me through Oxford respectably. There, now, young un; I
never thought of it before, but that's pretty much about my figure.
Ain't it all on the square? What have you got to say to that?"

"Why, that you are pretty sure to do all that you want, then."

"Well, I hope so. But you've forgot one thing--what I want to leave
behind me. I want to leave behind me," said Tom, speaking slow, and
looking much moved, "the name of a fellow who never bullied a little
boy, or turned his back on a big one."

Arthur pressed his hand, and after a moment's silence went on, "You say,
Tom, you want to please the Doctor. Now, do you want to please him by
what he thinks you do, or by what you really do?"

"By what I really do, of course."

"Does he think you use cribs and vulgus-books?"

Tom felt at once that his flank was turned, but he couldn't give in. "He
was at Winchester himself," said he; "he knows all about it."

"Yes; but does he think you use them? Do you think he approves of it?"

"You young villain!" said Tom, shaking his fist at Arthur, half vexed
and half pleased, "I never think about it. Hang it! there, perhaps he
don't. Well, I suppose he don't."

Arthur saw that he had got his point; he knew his friend well, and was
wise in silence as in speech. He only said, "I would sooner have the
doctor's good opinion of me as I really am than any man's in the world."

After another minute, Tom began again, "Look here, young un. How on
earth am I to get time to play the matches this half if I give up cribs?
We're in the middle of that long crabbed chorus in the Agamemnon. I can
only just make head or tail of it with the crib. Then there's Pericles's
speech coming on in Thucydides, and 'The Birds' to get up for the
examination, besides the Tacitus." Tom groaned at the thought of his
accumulated labours. "I say, young un, there's only five weeks or so
left to holidays. Mayn't I go on as usual for this half? I'll tell the
Doctor about it some day, or you may."

Arthur looked out of the window. The twilight had come on, and all was
silent. He repeated in a low voice: "In this thing the Lord pardon thy
servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship
there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow down myself in the house of
Rimmon, when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon
thy servant in this thing