hurried exit.

"That's a scholar called Smithers," Venner explained. "He's a very quiet
man. I don't suppose any of you know him even by sight."

"We ragged him last term," said Michael, smiling at his friends.

"He's a bounder," declared Avery obstinately.

"He hasn't much money," said Venner. "But he's a very nice fellow. You
oughtn't to rag him. He's very harmless. Never speaks to anybody. He'll
get a first, I expect, but there, you don't think anything of that, I
know. But the dons do. The Warden often has him to dinner. I shouldn't
rag him any more. He's a very sensitive fellow. His father's a
carpenter. What a wonderful thing he should have a son come up to St.
Mary's."

The rebuke was so gently administered that only the momentary silence
betrayed its efficacy.

One day Michael brought Alan to be introduced to Venables, and it was a
pleasure to see how immediately the old man appreciated Alan.

"Why ever didn't you come to St. Mary's?" asked Venner. "Just the place
for you. Don't you find Christ Church a bit large? But they've got some
very good land. I've often done a bit of shooting over the Christ Church
farms. The Bursar knows me well. 'Pleased to see you, Mr. Venables, and
I hope you'll have good sport.' That's what he said to me last time I
saw him. Oh, he's a very nice man! Do they still make meringues at your
place? I don't suppose you ever heard the story of the St. Mary's men
who broke into Christ Church. It caused quite a stir at the time. Well,
some of our men were very tipsy one night at the Bullingdon wine, and
one of them left his handkerchief in the rooms of a Christ Church man,
and what do you think they did? Why, when they got back to college, this
man said he wasn't going to bed without his handkerchief. Did you ever
hear of such a thing? So they all climbed out of St. Mary's at about two
in the morning and actually climbed into Christ Church. At least they
thought it was Christ Church, but it was really Pembroke. Do you know
Pembroke? I don't suppose you've even been there. Our men always cheer
Pembroke in the Eights--Pemmy, as they call it--because their barge is
next to us. But fancy breaking in there at night to look for a
handkerchief. They woke up every man in the college, and there was a
regular set-to in the quad, and the night porter at Pembroke got a most
terrible black eye. The President of the J.C.R. had to send an apology,
and it was all put right, but this man who lost his