d and Scaife walked together on Sunday afternoons. But the
fact that Desmond seemed to be vanishing out of his horizon made no
difference to John's ever-increasing affection for him. Very humbly, he
worshipped at a distance. On clear, dry days Fluff and he would climb to
the top of the wall of the squash racquet-courts to see Scaife and
Desmond play a single. They were extraordinarily well-matched in
strength, activity, and skill. John noticed, however, that the Demon
lost his temper when he lost a game, whereas Caesar only laughed. Somehow
John divined that the Demon was making the effort of his life to secure
Desmond's friendship. And Caesar had ideals, standards to which the Demon
pretended to attain. Good, simple John made sure that Caesar would
elevate the Demon to his plane, that evil would be exorcised by good.
Only in his dreams did the Demon have the advantage.

Just before the end of the term, Caesar said to him--

"After all, I'm jolly glad I'm coming into your House, because the old
Demon is such a ripper; and he and I have been talking things over. He's
as mad keen as I am about games, and although the Manorites have not
played in a cock-house match at cricket or footer for years, still there
is a chance for us at Torpids next term. You'll play, Verney. You've
improved a lot, so the Demon says, and he'll be captain. Then there are
the sports. If only Dirty Dick could be knocked on the head, the Manor
might jump to the front again."

"It will," said John.

When the School reassembled after Christmas, Desmond entered the Manor,
and found himself with Scaife in a two-room. A civil note from the man
of millions had arranged this. To John was given a two-room, also, with
the Duffer as stable companion. Fluff remained in No. 15. The Duffer had
got his remove from the Top Shell into John's form. Scaife and Desmond
were elevated into the Upper Remove. It followed, therefore, that Scaife
and Desmond prepared work in their own room, the Caterpillar joining the
Duffer and John. Thus it will be seen that, although Desmond had become
a Manorite, he was, practically speaking, out of John's orbit.

The Caterpillar had now been three years in the school, and he governed
himself accordingly. He put on a "barmaid"[14] collar and spent much
time on the top step of the boys' entrance to the Manor. No mere
two-year-old presumed to occupy this sacred spot. Had he dared to do so,
the Caterpillar would have made things very su