hange--with the spread of education and so on. The boys
of to-day are the men of to-morrow. An impression in youth is likely to
be permanent. And in these times, you know, with the country going to
the dogs?"

"You're quite right." The island was then entering on five years of Mr.
Gladstone's rule; and the General did not like what he had seen of it.
He would certainly write to the Head, for it was beyond question that
the boys of to-day made the men of to-morrow. That, if he might say so,
was uncommonly well put.

In reply, the Head stated that he should be delighted to welcome Mr.
Raymond Martin, M.P., of whom he had heard so much; to put him up for
the night, and to allow him to address the school on any subject that
he conceived would interest them. If Mr. Martin had not yet faced an
audience of this particular class of British youth, the Head had no
doubt that he would find it an interesting experience.

"And I don't think I am very far wrong in that last," he confided to the
Reverend John. "Do you happen to know anything of one Raymond Martin?"

"I was at College with a man of that name," the chaplain replied.
"He was without form and void, so far as I remember, but desperately
earnest."

"He will address the Coll. on 'Patriotism' next Saturday."

"If there is one thing our boys detest more than another it is having
their Saturday evenings broken into. Patriotism has no chance beside
'brewing.'"

"Nor art either. D'you remember our 'Evening with Shakespeare'?"
The Head's eyes twinkled. "Or the humorous gentleman with the magic
lantern?"

"An' who the dooce is this Raymond Martin, M.P.?" demanded Beetle, when
he read the notice of the lecture in the corridor. "Why do the brutes
always turn up on a Saturday?"

"Ouh! Reomeo, Reomeo. Wherefore art thou Reomeo?" said McTurk over his
shoulder, quoting the Shakespeare artiste of last term. "Well, he won't
be as bad as _her_, I hope. Stalky, are you properly patriotic? Because
if you ain't, this chap's goin' to make you."

"Hope he won't take up the whole of the evening. I suppose we've got to
listen to him."

"Wouldn't miss him for the world," said McTurk. "A lot of chaps thought
that Romeo-Romeo woman was a bore. _I_ didn't. I liked her! 'Member
when she began to hiccough in the middle of it? P'raps he'll hiccough.
Whoever gets into the Gym first, bags seats for the other two."

There was no nervousness, but a brisk and cheery affability about Mr.
Ra