lady's suggestion to amuse himself with a book
while he waited.

Wandering round the big bay-windowed room with its odour of tobacco and
books, and casting a careless glance at Father Viner's desk, Michael
caught sight of his own name in the middle of a neatly written letter on
the top of a pile of others. He could not resist taking a longer glance
to see the address and verify the allusion to himself, and with this
longer glance curiosity conquered so completely the prejudice against
prying into other people's correspondence that Michael, breathing
nervously under the dread of interruption, took up the letter and read
it right through. It was in his present mood of anxiety about himself
very absorbing.

CLERE ABBEY,

_Michael Mass._

PAX [Maltese cross symbol]

_Dear Brother,_

_I have been intending to write to you about young Michael Fane
ever since he left us, and your letter of enquiry has had the
effect of bringing me up to the point._

_I hardly know what to tell you._ _He's a curious youth, very
lovable, and with enough brains to make one wish that he might have
a vocation for the priesthood._ _At the same time I noticed while
he was with us, especially after the admirable Chator departed, an
overwhelming languor which I very much deplored._

_He spent much of his time with a very bad hat indeed, whom I have
just sent away from Clere. If you ever come across Mr. Henry Meats,
be careful of him. Arbuthnot of St. Aidan's, Holloway, sent him to
me. You know Arbuthnot's expansive (and for his friends expensive)
Christianity. This last effort of his was a snorter, a soft, nasty,
hysterical, little blob of vice. I ought to have seen through the
fellow before I did. Heaven knows I get enough of the tag-rag of
the Movement trying to be taken on at Clere. I suppose the monastic
life will always make an imperishable appeal to the worst, and,
thank God, some of the best. I mention this fellow to you because
I'm afraid he and Michael may meet again, and I don't at all like
the idea of their acquaintanceship progressing, especially as it
was unluckily begun beneath a religious roof. So keep an eye on Mr.
Henry Meats. He's really bad._

_Another fellow I don't recommend for Michael is Percy Garrod. Not
that I think there is much danger in that direction, for I fancy
Michae