vibrated in thousands of soldier-hearts. Outside, Fluff was
awaiting him.

"Oh, Jonathan, you can sing, and no mistake."

"Five--six--seven mistakes," John answered.

The boys laughed.

John told Fluff what the hero had said to him, and showed the piece of
gold.

"What ho! The Creameries! Come on, Esme."

At the Creameries several boys congratulated John, and the Caterpillar
said--

"You astonished us, Jonathan; 'pon my soul you did. Have a 'dringer'
with me? And Fluff, too? By the way, be sure to keep your hair clipped
close. These singing fellows with manes may be lions in their own
estimation, but the world looks upon 'em as asses."

"That's not bad for you, Caterpillar," said a boy in the Fifth.

"Not my own," said the Caterpillar, solemnly--"my father's. I take from
him all the good things I can get hold of."

John polished off his "dringer," listening to the chaff, but his
thoughts were with Desmond. He had an intuition that Desmond would have
something to say to him. As soon as possible he returned to the Manor.

There he found his room empty. John shut the door and sat down, looking
about him half-absently. The Duffer had not contributed much to the
mural decoration, saying, loftily, that he preferred bare walls to
rubbishy engravings and Japanese fans. But, with curious inconsistency
(for he was the least vain of mortals), he had bought at a "leaving
auction" a three-sided mirror--once the property of a great buck in the
Sixth. The Duffer had got it cheap, but he never used it. The lower boys
remarked to each other that Duff didn't dare to look in it, because what
he would see must not only break his heart but shatter the glass.
Generally, it hung, folded up, close to the window, and the Duffer said
that it would come in handy when he took to shaving.

John's eye rested on this mirror, vacantly at first, then with gathering
intensity. Presently he got up, crossed the room, opened the two
folding panels, and examined himself attentively, pursing up his lips
and frowning. He could see John Verney full face, three-quarter face,
and half-face. And he could see the back of his head, where an obstinate
lock of hair stuck out like a drake's tail. John was so occupied in
taking stock of his personal disadvantages that a ringing laugh quite
startled him.

"Why, Jonathan! Giving yourself a treat--eh?"

John turned a solemn face to Desmond. "I think my head is hideous," he
said ruefully.

"What do you