emember the day we were put out of the
twenty.[46] How he rose to the situation, and burnt his cigar-cases,
and gave away his pistols, and pondered on the constitutional
authority[47] of the sixth and his new duties to the Doctor, and the
fifth form, and the fags. Ay, and no fellow ever acted up to them
better, though he was always a people's man,--for the fags, and
against constituted authorities.[48] He couldn't help that, you know.
I'm sure the Doctor must have liked him?" said Tom, looking up
inquiringly.

[46] #The twenty#: the fifth form.

[47] #Constitutional authority#: here, the authority
established by school customs.

[48] #Constituted authorities#: here, the upper-class boys.

"The Doctor sees the good in every one, and appreciates it," said the
master, dogmatically;[49] "but I hope East will get a good colonel. He
won't do if he can't respect those above him. How long it took him,
even here, to learn the lesson of obeying."

[49] #Dogmatically#: positively.

"Well, I wish I were alongside of him," said Tom. "If I can't be at
Rugby, I want to be at work in the world, and not dawdling away three
years at Oxford."

WORK IN THE WORLD.

"What do you mean by 'at work in the world'?" said the master,
pausing, with his lips close to the saucerful of tea, and peering at
Tom over it.

"Well, I mean real work; one's profession; whatever one will have
really to do, and make one's living by. I want to be doing some real
good, feeling that I am not only at play in the world," answered Tom,
rather puzzled to find out himself what he really did mean.

"You are mixing up two very different things in your head, I think,
Brown," said the master, putting down the empty saucer, "and you ought
to get clear about them. You talk of 'working to get your living,' and
'doing some real good in the world,' in the same breath. Now, you may
be getting a very good living in a profession, and yet doing no good
at all in the world, but quite the contrary at the same time. Keep the
latter before you as your one object, and you will be right, whether
you make a living or not; but if you dwell on the other, you'll very
likely drop into mere money-making, and let the world take care of
itself for good or evil. Don't be in a hurry about finding your work
in the world for yourself; you are not old enough to judge for
yourself yet, but just look about you in the place you find yourself
in, and try to make things