d not condescend to make any further answer.

"I hate that kind of fellow," said Brogten, loud enough for the friends
to hear, as they rose from the table; "fellows who think themselves
everybody's superiors, and walk with their noses in the air."

"I wonder that you will still be talking, Brogten; nobody marks you,"
said Lillyston, treating with the profoundest indifference a stupid
calumny. But poisoned arrows like these quivered long and rankled
painfully in Julian's heart.

Yet no sensible boy would have given Julian's reputation in exchange for
that of Bruce; for in all except the mean and coarse minority, Julian
excited either affection or esteem, and he had the rare inestimable
treasure of some real and noble-hearted friends; while Bruce was too
vain, too shallow, and too fickle to inspire any higher feeling than a
mere transient admiration.

Latterly it had become known to the boys that Julian was going up to
Saint Werner's as a sizar, and being ignorant of the reasons which
decided him, they had been much surprised. But the little clique of his
enemies made this an additional subject of annoyance, and there were not
wanting those who had the amazing bad taste to repeat to him some of
their speeches. There are some who seem to think that a man must rather
enjoy hearing all the low tittle-tattle of envious backbiters.

"I knew he must be some tailor's son or other," remarked Brogten.

"I say, Bruce, we shall have to cut him at Saint Werner's," observed an
exquisite young exclusive.

Such things--the mere lispings of malicious folly--Julian could not help
hearing; and they galled him so much that he determined to have a talk
on the subject with his tutor, who was a Saint Werner's man. It was his
tutor's custom to devote the hour before lock-up on every half-holiday
to seeing any of his pupils who cared to come and visit him; but as on
the rich summer evenings few were to be tempted from the joyous sounds
of the cricket-field, Julian found him sitting alone in his study,
reading.

"Ha, Julian!" he exclaimed, rising at once, with a frank and cordial
greeting. "Here's a triumph! A boy actually enticed from bats and
balls to pay me a visit!"

Julian smiled. "The fact is, sir," he said, "I've come to ask you about
something. But am I disturbing you? If so, I'll go and `pursue vagrant
pieces of leather again,' as Mr Stokes says when he wants to dismiss us
to cricket."

"Not in the least. I rather e