be Aspiration. There, outside the baths,
the AEsthetic awoke in me. The sensation, infinitely sad and yet
pleasing, was so complete that it left me hot-cheeked and
wondering....

In truth, so warm and all-pervading was it that the other day, when
during a short leave from France I stood on the gravel that sweeps
to the entrance of the baths, I felt the memory of that moment of
yearning egoism hanging over the spot like a restless spirit of the
past.

Sec.4

The whole period of Preparation passed in suspense. And, when the
bell had gone, Penny and I found our way to one of the Bramhall
class-rooms, where I sat upon the hot-water pipes (the wisdom of
which proceeding I have since doubted). After about five minutes
there rushed in a bad little boy who, having more relish in the
thought of his message than breath to deliver it, puffed out: "Oh,
there you are. I've searched for you everywhere." Then he paused,
recovered his breath, and actually pointed a finger at us, saying:

"Ee, bless me, my men, Salome wants you in Radley's room."

Penny took the small boy's head and banged it three times on a desk.

In Radley's familiar room we found Salome, who no sooner saw me than
he cried:

"Ee, bless me, my man. Will you _take_--your _hand_--out of your
_pocket_?"

This was such a surprise that I blushed and--oh, accursed
nervousness!--began to giggle. My terror at giggling in the Presence
was so real that I compressed my lips to secure control. But control
was as impossible as concealment. Salome came very close, pointed at
my mouth, and said:

"I think you're _giggling_. Take off that ridiculous expression, my
man. I'm _going_--to _smack_--your _face_."

Sobered in a moment, I composed my features for the punishment and
received it, stinging and burning, on my reddened cheek.

Salome again pointed at me.

"You're a _sportsman_, sir, a _sportsman_, and I _like_ you," an
affection which I at once reciprocated.

"Ee, bless me, my man," he pursued. "What's your horrible name?"

"Ray, sir."

"Well, Ray, I'm going to cane you hard"--(rather crudely expressed,
I thought)--"because your offence is serious, bless me, my man"--(an
unreasonable request at this stage).

He took out his cane and turned first to Pennybet.

"I find, Mr. Pennybet, that, when you were breaking bounds, you
should have been with your _company_--your _company_, sir--at
shooting practice. It's _desertion_, sir--and punishable by _death_.
B