above. These gay little
houses, half of whose charm lay in their similarity, were as near as
they would ever come to any paradise of being. Michael had experienced
many spasms of love for his fellow-men, and now in one of these
outbursts he suddenly realized himself in sympathy with mediocrity.

"Rather jolly round here," said Alan. "I suppose a tremendous lot of
chaps from the school live about here. Funny thing, if you come to think
of it. Practically everybody at St. James' slides into a little house
like this. A few go into the Army; a few go to the 'Varsity. But this is
really the School."

Alan indicated an empty perambulator standing outside one of the houses.
"Funny thing if the kid that's waiting for should be Captain of the
School in another eighteen years. I wouldn't be surprized."

Alan had just expressed so much of what Michael himself was thinking
that he felt entitled to put the direct question which a moment ago he
had been shy of asking.

"Do you feel as if you belonged to all this?"

"No," said Alan very coolly.

"Nor do I," Michael echoed.

"And that's why it was rotten of you to give yourself away to
Abercrombie and the other chaps," Alan went on severely.

"Yes, I think it was," Michael agreed.

Then they retraced their steps unconsciously, wandering along silently
in the sunlight towards the school. Michael did not want to converse
because he was too much elated by this walk, and the satisfying way in
which Alan had lived up to his ideal of him. He began to weave a fine
romance of himself and Alan going through life together in a lofty
self-sufficiency from which they would condescend to every aspect of
humanity. He was not sure whether Alan would condescend so far and so
widely as himself, and he was not sure whether he wanted him to, whether
it would not always be a relief to be aware of Alan as a cold supernal
sanctuary from the vulgar struggles in which he foresaw his own frequent
immersion. Meanwhile he must make it easy for Alan by apologizing to
Abercrombie and the rest for his ridiculous passion of yesterday. He did
not wish to imperil Alan's superb aloofness by involving him in the
acrimonious and undignified defence of a friend. There should be no more
outbreaks. So much Michael vowed to his loyalty. However, the apology
must be made quickly--if possible, this afternoon before school--and as
they entered the school-ground again, Michael looked up at the clock,
and said:

"Do