loft for ages and ages.
Sylvia Courtney told me that her mother says anything will come in
useful if you only keep it long enough; but I don't know whether that's
true. I don't think it can be, quite, for I tried it once with a used
up exercise-book and it didn't seem to be the slightest good even after
years and years, though it got most frightfully tattered. Still it
may be true. You never can tell about things of that sort, and Sylvia
Courtney says her mother is extremely wise; so she may be quite right.

"Christian Science," said Frank bitterly, "wouldn't be of any use if you
kept it for centuries. What's the use of saying a thing isn't swelled
when it is?"

CHAPTER V

A night's rest restored self-respect to Frank Mannix. He felt when his
clothes were brought to him in the morning by a respectful footman that
he had to some extent sacrificed his dignity in his confidential
talk with Priscilla the day before. He had committed himself to the
bath-chair and the boating expedition, and he had too high a sense of
personal honour to back out of an engagement definitely made. But he
determined to keep Priscilla at a distance. He would go with her,
would to some extent join in her childish sports; but it must be on the
distinct understanding that he did so as a grown man who condescends to
play games with an amusing child. With this idea in his mind he dressed
himself very carefully in a suit a cricket flannels. The garments were
in themselves suitable for boating as he understood the sport. They were
also likely, he thought, to impress Priscilla. The white flannel coat,
bound round its edges with crimson silk, was at Hailey-bury part of a
uniform set apart for the sole use of members of the first eleven who
had actually got their colours. The crimson sash round his waist was
a badge of the same high office. Small boys, who played cricket on the
house pitches in the Little Side ground, bowed in awed humility before a
member of the first eleven when he appeared before them in all his glory
and felt elated if they were allowed to walk across the quadrangle
with any one who wore the sacred vestments. Frank had little doubt that
Priscilla, who was to be his companion for the day would realise the
greatness of her privileges.

But Priscilla seemed curiously unimpressed. She met him in the breakfast
room before either Sir Lucius or Miss Lentaigne came down.

"Great Scot! Cousin Frank," she said, "you are a howler!"