nticipations
were verified he had found it necessary to consider seriously how he
was to support himself for the future. Literature, as has been said,
was now out of the question; in fact, its fascination for him had
faded. Mabel had a fair income settled upon her, but in ordinary
self-respect he could not live upon that, and so he sought about for
some opening. At first he had firmly resolved never to go back to his
old school life, after having done so much to escape from it; but as
he began to see that any profession that required capital was closed
to him, and business being equally impossible, he was forced to think
of again becoming a schoolmaster. And then he heard by accident that
old Mr. Shelford was about to resign his post at St. Peter's, and it
occurred to him that it might be worth his while to go and see him,
and find out if the vacancy was unfilled, and if there was any chance
for himself. It was not a pleasant thing to do, for he had not seen
the old gentleman lately, and dreaded equally innocent congratulations
and brusque irony, according to the state of his information. He went
up to St. Peter's, timing his arrival after school, when the boys
would all have left, except the classes which remained an hour longer
for extra subjects. Mr. Shelford always lingered for some time, and he
would be very certain to find him. Mark went along the dark corridors,
rather shrinking as he did so from the idea of being recognised by a
passing member of the staff, till he came to the door he knew.

Mr. Shelford was still in cap and gown, dictating the week's marks to
his monitor, who was entering them, with a long-suffering expression
on his face, into a sort of ledger. 'Now we come to Robinson,' the old
gentleman was saying; 'you're sure you've got the right place, eh? Go
on, then. _Latin repetition_, thirty-eight; Latin prose,
thirty-six--if you don't take care, Master Maxwell, Robinson'll be
carrying off the prize this term, he's creeping up to you, sir,
creeping up; Roman History'--and here he saw Mark, and dismissed the
monitor unceremoniously enough.

He evidently knew the whole story of 'Illusion,' for his first words
after they were alone together were, 'And so you've been a sort of
warming-pan all this time, eh?'

'That's all,' said Mark, gloomily.

'Well, well,' the old gentleman continued, not unkindly, 'you made a
rash promise and kept it like a man, even when it must have been
uncommonly disagreeable.