t
Lovell only laughed. And then Scaife chipped in, 'Look here, Caesar,' he
said, 'do I understand that you put this thing, which after all is none
of your business or mine, as a favour which Lovell might do _you_?' And
Caesar answered, 'You can put it that way, if you like, Demon.' And then
Scaife laughed. I don't like Scaife's laugh, Jonathan."

"I loathe it," said John.

"Well, when Scaife laughed, Lovell looked first at him and then at
Caesar. It came to me that Lovell was primed to say something. At any
rate, he turned to Caesar, and said slowly, 'Tit for tat. If I do this
for you, will you do something for me?' And Caesar spoke up as usual,
without a second's hesitation, 'Of course I will.' And then Scaife
laughed again, just as Lovell said, 'All right, I'll give Verney his
"cap" before tea, and you will make a fourth at bridge with us to-morrow
afternoon.'"

"Oh, oh!" groaned John.

"Dash it all, don't look so wretched. There's not much more. Caesar
hesitated a moment. Then he said quietly enough, 'Done!' Personally, I
don't think Lovell was playing--well--cricket, but I do know that he
wanted a fourth at bridge, because I'd just refused to make that fourth
myself. They play too high for me."

"It's awfully good of you to have told me this."

"Pray don't mention it! Hullo! What's up now?"

John's face was very red, and his fists were clenched.

"Nothing," he gasped. "Only this--I'd like to kill Scaife. I'd like to
cut off his infernal head."

The Caterpillar laughed indulgently. "Jonathan, you're a rum 'un. You
think it wicked to play cards on Sunday; but you would like"--he
imitated John's trembling, passionate voice--"you would like to cut off
Scaife's infernal head."

"Yes--I would," said John.

That same week he had a memorable talk with Warde; recorded because it
illustrates Warde's methods, and because, ultimately, it came to be
regarded by John as the turning-point of his intellectual life. Since he
had taken the Lower Remove, John's energies of mind and body had been
concentrated upon improving himself at games. Vaguely aware that some of
the School-prizes were within his grasp, he had not deemed them worth
the winning. To him, therefore, Warde abruptly began--

"You pride yourself upon being straight--eh, Verney?"

"Why, yes," said John, meeting Warde's blue eyes not without misgiving.

"Well, to me, you're about as straight as a note of interrogation. I
never see you without saying to m