ght out as occasion should serve.
He was plunging down rapidly enough now; but he had new motives
for making the most of his time, and never played his cards
better or made more progress. When a man sits down to such a
game, the devil will take good care he sha'n't want cunning or
strength. It was ten o'clock instead of nine before he left,
which he did with a feeling of triumph. Poor Patty remained
behind, and shut up the bar, her heart in a flutter, and her
hands shaking, while Dick was locking the front door. She hardly
knew whether to laugh or cry; she felt the change which had come
over him, and was half fascinated and half repelled by it.

Tom walked quickly back to college, in a mood which I do not care
to describe. The only one of his thoughts which my readers need
be troubled with, put itself into some such words as these in his
head:--"So, it's Abingdon fair next Thursday, and she has
half-promised to go with me. I know I can make it certain. Who'll
be going besides? Drysdale, I'll be bound. I'll go and see him."

On entering college he went straight to Drysdale's rooms, and
drank deeply, and played high into the short hours of the night,
but found no opportunity of speaking.

Deeper and deeper yet for the next few days, downwards and ever
faster downwards he plunged, the light getting fainter and ever
fainter above his head. Little good can come of dwelling on those
days. He left off pulling, shunned his old friends, and lived
with the very worst men he knew in college, who were ready enough
to let him share all their brutal orgies.

Drysdale, who was often present, wondered at the change, which he
saw plainly enough. He was sorry for it in his way, but it was no
business of his. He began to think that Brown was a good enough
fellow before, but would make a devilish disagreeable one if he
was going to turn fast man.

At "The Choughs" all went on as if the downward path knew how to
make itself smooth. Now that the races were over, and so many
other attractions were going on in Oxford, very few men came in
to interfere with him. He was scarcely ever away from Patty's
side, in the evenings while her aunt was absent, and gained more
and more power over her. He might have had some compassion, but
that he was spurred on by hearing how Hardy haunted the place
now, at times when he could not be there. He felt that there was
an influence struggling with his in the girl's mind; he laid it
to Hardy's door, and i