you make
everyone think that you value their opinion, and yet you know exactly
what you want and get it."

Howard laughed. "I really am not such a diplomatist as that, Jack! I am
not a humbug; but I will tell you frankly what happens. What people say
and think, and even how they look, does affect me very much at the
time; but I have a theory that most people get what they really want.
One has to be very careful what one wants in this world, not because
one is disappointed, but because Providence hands it one with a smile;
and then it often turns out to be an ironical gift--a punishment in
disguise."

"Maud shall hear that," said Jack; "a punishment in disguise--that will
do her good, and take her down a peg or two. So you have found it out
already?"

"My dear Jack," said Howard, "if you say anything of the kind, you will
repent it. I am not going to have Maud bothered just now with any
nonsense. Do you hear that? The frankness of your family is one of its
greatest charms--but you don't quite know how much the frankness of
babes and sucklings can hurt--and you are not to experiment on Maud."

Jack looked at Howard with a smile. "Here's the real man at last--the
tyrant's vein! Of course, I obey. I didn't really mean it; and I like
to hear you speak like that; it's rather fine."

Presently Jack said, "Now, about the Governor--rather a douche, I
expect? But I see you can take care of yourself; he's hugely
delighted--the intellectual temperature rises in every letter I get
from him. But I want to make sure of one thing. I'm not going to stay
on here much longer. I don't want a degree--it isn't the slightest use,
plain or coloured. I want to get to work. If you come up again next
term, I can stand it, not otherwise."

"Very well," said Howard, "that's a bargain. I must just talk things
over with Maud. If we come up to Cambridge in October, you will stay
till next June. If we don't, you shall be planted in the business. They
will take you in, I believe, at any time, but would prefer you to
finish your time here."

"Yes, that's it," said Jack, "but I want work: this is all right, in a
way, but it's mostly piffle. How all these Johnnies can dangle on, I
don't know; it's not my idea of life."

"Well, there's no hurry," said Howard, "but it shall be arranged as you
wish."

XXXI

MAKING THE BEST OF IT

Howard became aware that with his colleagues he had suddenly become
rather a person of importance. His "pla