ing?"

"Well, I don't know; I rather think I am. I'm dog-tired of
driving and doing the High Street, and playing cards and
billiards all day, and our boat is likely to be head of the
river, I think."

"By Jove! I should as soon have thought of you taking to reading,
or going to University Sermon," put in St. Cloud.

"And the boating-men, too," went on Farley; "did you ever see
such a set, St. Cloud? with their everlasting flannels and
jerseys, and hair cropped like prize-fighters?"

"I'll bet a guinea there isn't one of them has more than 200L a
year," put in Chanter, whose father could just write his name,
and was making a colossal fortune by supplying bad iron rails to
the new railway companies.

"What the devil do I care," broke in Drysdale; "I know they're a
deal more amusing than you fellows, who can't do anything that
don't cost pounds."

"Getting economical!" sneered St. Cloud.

"Well, I don't see the fun of tearing one's heart out, and
blistering one's hands, only to get abused by that little brute
Miller the coxswain," said Farley.

"Why, you won't be able to sit straight in your chair for a
month," said Chanter; "and the captain will make you dine at one,
and fetch you out of anybody's rooms, confound his impudence
whether he knows them or not, at eleven o'clock every night."

"Two cigars every day, and a pint and a half of liquid," and
Farley inserted his cod fish face into the tankard; "fancy
Drysdale on training allowance!"

Here a newcomer entered in a bachelor's gown, who was warmly
greeted by the name of Sanders by Drysdale. St. Cloud and he
exchanged the coldest possible nods; and the other two, taking
the office from their mentor, stared at him through their smoke,
and, after a minute or two's silence, and a few rude
half-whispered remarks amongst themselves, went off to play a
game of pyramids till luncheon time. Saunders took a cigar which
Drysdale offered, and began asking about his friends at home, and
what he had been doing in the vacation.

They were evidently intimate, though Tom thought that Drysdale
didn't seem quite at his ease at first, which he wondered at, as
Sanders took his fancy at once. However, eleven o'clock struck,
and Tom had to go to lecture, where we cannot follow him just
now, but must remain with Drysdale and Saunders, who chatted on
very pleasantly for some twenty minutes, till a knock came at the
door. It was not till the third summons that Drysdale shouted,