gh a cloud of smoke, upon the company. Below his short, light
grey flannel trousers were bright purple socks. He had the body of a
bullock--short, thick, broad, strong, thoroughly well calculated to
withstand the rushes of oncoming three-quarters. Various freshmen flung
timid glances at the hero every now and again; it was to them an event
that they might have, for a whole hour, closely under their observation,
this king among men.

Olva wondered at his presence. He remembered that Lawrence was taking
a "pass" degree in History. He knew also that Lawrence somewhere in the
depths of his slow brain had a thirst for knowledge and at the same time
a certain assurance that he would never acquire any. His slow voice, his
slow smile, the great, heavy back, the short thick legs attracted Olva;
there was something simple and primeval here that appealed to the Dune
blood. Moreover, since the afternoon when Olva had played against
the Harlequins and covered himself with glory, Lawrence had shown a
disposition to make friends. Old Lawrence might be stupid, but, as a
background, he was the most important man in the College. His slow,
lumbering body as it rolled along the Court was followed by the eyes of
countless freshmen. His appearance on the occasion of a College concert
was the signal for an orgy of applause. Cardillac might lead the
College, but he was, nevertheless, of common clay. Lawrence was of the
gods!

Swift contrast the fat and shapeless Bunning! As the tremulous and
almost tearful voice of little Erdington continued the solemn and dreary
exposition of the Huns, Olva felt increasingly that Bunning's eye was
upon him. Olva had not seen the creature since the night of the revival,
and he was irritated with himself for the persistence of his interest.
The man's pluck had, in the first place, struck him, but now it seemed
to him that they were, in some undefinable measure, linked together. As
Olva watched him, half contemptuously, half sarcastically, he tried
to pin his brain down to the actual, definite connection. It seemed
ultimately to hang round that dreadful evening when they had been
together; it was almost---although this was absurd--as though Bunning
knew; but, in spite of the certain assurance of his ignorance Olva
felt as he moved uneasily under Bunning's gaze that the man himself was
making some claim upon him. It was evident that Bunning was unhappy;
he looked as though he had not slept; his face was white an