Wedderburn.

"Oh, there's plenty of time," chuckled Venner. "You don't want to be
thinking about girls up here. Some of our men go getting engaged before
they've gone down, and it always messes them up in the Schools."

Maurice Avery came in while Venner was speaking. He seemed restless and
worried, and as Venner went on his restlessness increased.

"But very few of our men have got into trouble here with girls. We had
one man once who married a widow. He was dreadfully chaffed about it,
and couldn't stand it any longer. The men never let him alone."

"Married a widow, while he was still up?" people asked incredulously.

"Why, yes," said Venner. "And actually brought her down for Eights and
introduced her to the Warden on the barge. She was a most severe-looking
woman, and old enough to be his mother. There was some trouble once at
202 High--that's where you are, isn't it?" He turned to Lonsdale. "But
there won't be any more trouble because Macpherson vowed he wouldn't
have a servant-girl in the house again."

"I suppose that's why we have that perspiring boy," grumbled Wedderburn.
"But what happened, Venner?"

"Well, the usual thing, of course. There were five of our men living
there that year, and she picked out the quietest one of the lot and said
it was him. He had to pay fifty pounds, and when he'd paid it all, the
other four came up to him one by one and offered to pay half."

Everybody laughed, and Maurice suddenly announced that he was in a devil
of a fix with a girl.

"A girl at a village near here," he explained. "There's no question of
her having a baby or anything like that, you know; but her brother
followed me home one night, and yesterday her father turned up. I got
Castleton to talk to him. But it was damned awkward. He and old
Castleton were arguing like hell in our digs."

Maurice stopped and, lighting a cigarette, looked round him as if
expectant of the laughter which had hailed Venner's story. Nobody seemed
to have any comment to make, and Michael felt himself blushing violently
for his friend.

"Bit chilly in here to-night, Venner," said Lonsdale.

"You are a confounded lot of prigs!" said Maurice angrily, and he walked
out of Venner's just as Castleton came in.

"My dear old Frank Castleton," said Lonsdale immediately, "I love you
very much and I think your hair is beautifully brushed, but you really
must talk to our Mr. Avery very, very seriously. He mustn't be allowed
to make such