rical
over this war. And now you're getting hysterical over yourself, which is
much worse."

"Damn you, Alan, if I didn't like you so much I shouldn't listen to
you," said Michael, fiercely pausing.

"Well, if I didn't like you, I shouldn't talk," answered Alan simply.

As they walked on again in silence for a while, Michael continually
tried to get a perspective view of his friend, puzzling over his
self-assurance, which was never offensive, and wondering how a person
so much less clever than himself could possibly make him feel so humble.
Alan was good-looking and well-dressed; he was essentially debonair; he
was certainly in appearance the most attractive boy in the school. It
always gave Michael the most acute thrill of admiration to see Alan
swinging himself along so lithe and so graceful. It made him want to go
up and pat Alan's shoulder and say, "You fine and lovely creature, go on
walking for ever." But mere good looks were not enough to explain the
influence which Alan wielded, an influence which had steadily increased
during the period of their greatest devotion to each other, and had
never really ceased during the period of their comparative estrangement.
Yet, if Michael looked back on their joint behaviour, it had always been
he who apparently led and Alan who followed.

"Do you know, old chap," said Michael suddenly, "you're a great
responsibility to me."

"Thanks very much and all that," Alan answered, with a mocking bow.

"Have you ever imagined yourself the owner of some frightfully famous
statue?" Michael went on earnestly.

"Why, have you?" Alan countered, with his familiar look of embarrassed
persiflage.

Michael, however, kept tight hold of the thread that was guiding him
through the labyrinth that led to the arcana of Alan's disposition.

"You've the same sort of responsibility," he asserted. "I always feel
that if I were the owner of the Venus of Milo, though I could move her
about all over the place and set her up wherever I liked, I should be
responsible to her in some way. I should feel she was looking at me, and
if I put her in a wrong position, I should feel ashamed of myself and
half afraid of the statue."

"Are you trying to prove you're mad?" Alan enquired.

"Do be serious," Michael begged, "and tell me if you think you
understand what I mean. Alan, you used to discuss everything with me
when we were kids, why won't you discuss yourself now?"

Alan looked up at the sky for a