ed me to see what's the right thing to do---that's all."

Bunning was, surely, in the light of it, a romantic figure.

Miss Annett came in with the lunch.

3

As Olva was changing into his football things, Cardillac appeared.

"Come up to the field with me, will you? I've got a hansom."

Olva finished tying his boots and stood up. Cardillac looked at him.

"My word, you seem fit."

"Yes, I'm splendid, thanks."

He felt splendid. Never before had he been so conscious of the right to
be alive. His football clothes smelt of the earth and the air. He moved
his arms and legs with wonderful freedom. His blood was pumping through
his body as though death, disease, infirmity such things---were of
another planet.

For such a man as he there should only be air, love, motion, the
begetting of children, the surprising splendour of a sudden death. Now
already Craven was waiting for him.

He had sent a note round to Craven's rooms; he had said, "Come in to see
me after the match---five o'clock. I have something to tell you."

At five o'clock then. . . .

Meanwhile it was nice of Cardillac to come. They exchanged no words
about it, but they understood one another entirely. It was as though
Cardillac had said---"I expect that you're going to knock me out of this
Rugger Blue as you knocked me out of the Wolves, and I want to show you
that we're pals all the way through."

What Cardillac really said was---"Have a cigarette? These are Turkish.
Feel like playing a game to-day?"

"Never felt better in my life."

"Well, these Dublin fellows haven't had their line crossed yet this
season. May one of us have the luck to do it."

"Pretty hefty lot of forwards."

"Yes, O'Brien's their spot Three I believe."

Olva and Cardillac attracted much attention as they walked through
the College. Miss Annett, watching them from a little window where she
washed plates, gulped in her thin throat with pride for "that Mr. Dune.
There's a gentleman!" The sun above the high grey buildings broke slowly
through yellow clouds. The roads were covered with a thin fine mud and,
from the earth, faint clouds of mist rose and vanished into a sky that
was slowly crumbling from thick grey into light watery blue.

The cold air beat upon their faces as the hansom rattled past Dunstan's,
over the bridge, and up the hill towards the field.

Cardillac talked. "There goes Braff. He doesn't often come up to a
game nowadays--must be getting on for seve