Fitzroy with his fair complexion and
military rigor of bearing, now toward Wedderburn whose evening dress
acquired from the dignity of its owner the richness of black velvet.
More directly in the light of the first lamp sat Maurice and Appleby
opposite to one another, both imparting to the assemblage a charming
worldliness, Maurice by his loose-fronted shirt, Appleby by the
self-esteem of his restless blue eyes. The two freshmen on either side
of the Dean wonderfully contrasted with his gauntness, and even more did
the withered Ardle, who looked like a specimen of humanity dried as
plants are dried between heavy books, contrast with the sprawling bulk
of Grainger. On the other side, Michael watched with amusement Miss
Crackanthorpe with shining apple-face bobbing nervously between Smithers
pale and solid and domed like a great cheese, and Lonsdale cool and
pink as an ice. In the background from the shadows at either end of the
room the sage-green walls materialized in the lamplight: the three dead
Wardens stared down at the table: and every fifteen minutes bells chimed
in St. Mary's tower.

"And how is The Oxford Looking-Glass progressing, Avery?" inquired the
Warden, shining full upon the editor in a steady gaze. "No doubt it
takes up a great deal of your valuable time?"

The Dean winked his gray decanal eye at the champagne: the Senior Tutor
coughed remotely like a grasshopper: Lonsdale prodded Michael with his
elbow and murmured that "the Wagger had laid Mossy a stymie."

Maurice admitted the responsibility of the paper for occupying a
considerable amount of his _leisure_, but consoled himself for this by
the fact that certainly, The Oxford Looking-Glass was progressing very
well indeed.

"We don't altogether know what attitude to take up over the Rhodes
Bequest," said Maurice. Then boldly he demanded from the Warden what
would be the effect of these imposed scholars from America and Australia
and Africa.

"The speculation is not without interest," declared the Warden. "What
does Fitzroy think?"

Fitzroy threw back his shoulders as if he were going to abuse the Togger
and said he thought the athletic qualifications were a mistake. "After
all, sir, we don't want the Tabs--I mean to say we don't want to beat
Cambridge with the help of a lot of foreigners."

"Foreigners, Fitzroy? Come, come, we can scarcely stigmatize Canadians
as foreigners. What would become of the Imperial Idea?"

"I think the Imperial Idea