"I think rather a Quakerish person, don't you, Alan? Rather neat and
tiny with a great sense of humor and...."

"In fact, an admirable sick nurse," Michael interposed, laughing.

Soon he left them in the studio and went for a walk by the side of the
river, thinking, as he strolled in the shade of the plane-trees, how
naturally Stella would enter the sphere of English country life now that
by fortune the opportunity had been given to her of following in the
long line of her ancestors. That she would be able to do so seemed to
Michael an additional reason why he should consider less the security of
his own future, and he was vexed with himself for that fleeting
disloyalty to his task.

Michael stayed at 202 High for his Viva. He occupied Wedderburn's old
white-paneled room, which he noted with relief was still sacred to the
tradition of a carefully chosen decorousness. The Viva was short and
irrelevant. He supposed he had obtained a comfortable third, and really
it seemed of the utmost unimportance in view of what a gulf now lay
between him and Oxford. However, he mustered enough interest to stay in
Cheyne Walk until the lists were out, and during those ten days he made
no attempt to find Lily.

Alan got a third in Greats and Michael a first in History. Michael's
immediate emotion was of gladness that Alan had no reason now to feel
the disappointment. Then he began to wonder how on earth he had achieved
a first. Many letters of congratulation arrived; and one or two of the
St. Mary's dons suggested he should try for a fellowship at All Souls.
The idea occupied his fancy a good deal, for it was attractive to have
anything so remote come suddenly within the region of feasibleness. He
would lose nothing by trying for it, and if he succeeded what a
congenial existence offered itself. With private means he would be able
to divide his time between Oxford and London. There would really be
nothing to mar the perfect amenity of the life that seemed to stretch
before him. Since he apparently had some talent (he certainly had not
worked hard enough to obtain a first without some talent) he would
prosecute the study of history. He would make himself famous in a select
sort of way. He would become the authority of a minor tributary to the
great stream of research. A set of very scholarly, very thorough works
would testify to his reputation. There were plenty of archaic problems
still to be solved. He cast a proprietary glance over