ed at the proposition that he at once abandoned it, while he
eagerly looked forward to the time when he should meet his friend at
Saint Werner's, on the books of which college he had entered his name
partly for this very reason. He had not been an undergraduate many days
before he called on Julian, who had received him indeed very kindly, but
who seemed rather shy of being much in his company for fear of the
remarks which he had not yet learnt entirely to disregard. This was a
great source of vexation to De Vayne, though the reason of it was partly
explained after the remarks which he had just overheard.

"Home," he whispered, "I wish you'd come into my rooms after hall, I
should so much like to have a talk. Do," he said, as he saw that Julian
hesitated, "I assure you I have felt quite lonely here."

Accordingly, after hall, Julian strolled into Warwick's Court, and found
his way to Lord De Vayne's rooms.

"I am so glad to see you, Julian, at last. As I have told you," he
said, with a glistening eye, "I have been very lonely. I have never
left home before, and have made no friend here as yet;" and he heaved a
deep sigh.

Julian felt his heart full of friendliness for the gentle boy whose
total inexperience made him seem younger than he really was. He glanced
round the rooms; they were richly furnished, but full of memorials of
home, that gave them a melancholy aspect. Over the fireplace was a
water-colour likeness of his lady-mother in her widow's weeds, and on
the opposite side of the room another picture of a beautiful young
child--De Vayne's only brother, who had died in infancy. The
handsomely-bound books on the shelves had been transferred from their
well-known places in the library of Uther Hall, and the regal antlers
which were fastened over the door had once graced the dining-room.
Thousands would have envied Lord De Vayne's position; but he had caught
the shadow of his mother's sadness, his relations were few, at Saint
Werner's as yet he had found none to lean upon, and he felt unhappy and
alone.

"I was so ashamed, Julian," he said, "so utterly and unspeakably ashamed
to hear the rudeness of these men as we came out of hall. I'm afraid
you must have felt deeply hurt."

"Yes, for the moment; but I'm sorry that I took even a moment's notice
of it. Why should one be ruffled because others are unfeeling and
impertinent; it is their misfortune, not ours."

"But why did you come up as a sizar, Juli