ect, and a few minutes later they
parted.

Malcolm kept his promise, and before the next day was over he had paid
Cedric's debt of honour, with a stern word of caution to his tempters
that turned them chill with dismay.

From this day Cedric attached himself to his benefactor with a dog-like
fidelity and devotion that secretly touched Malcolm. During the
latter's brief visits to Oxford they were seldom apart; and in spite of
the disparity between their ages, and the marked difference in their
tastes, a warm mutual attachment sprang up between the two. Malcolm was
soon put in possession of Cedric's history and manner of life from his
boyhood; he listened to copious anecdotes of his home and school-days.

He was soon made aware of Cedric's crowning ambition to take part in
the Oxford and Cambridge race, and that this honour was the dream and
purpose of his life.

His other purpose, to compete for the Civil Service Examination at the
close of his university life, seemed relegated to the background and
scarcely entered into his thoughts at all; and though Malcolm dropped a
warning word from time to time, he dared not put too much pressure on
the lad, for he recognised intuitively how body and mind were
developing under an athlete's training. Cedric's fame as an oarsman
soon reached the ears of authority, and at the time of his visit to
Lincoln's Inn it was already a foregone conclusion that his name would
be entered for the next race.

They talked of this for some time; and then, as the storm still raged,
Malcolm handed his visitor his own copy of the Times, and sat down to
answer one or two pressing letters. As soon as these were finished and
Malachi had received his instructions for the next day, he tilted his
chair back from the table and disposed himself comfortably for further
talk.

But first there was a little dumb-show on Cedric's part; for he drew
from his breast-pocket a Russian leather cigarette-case and held it out
with a significant smile. But Malcolm waved it away.

"Avaunt, Satanus," he said with dignity. "Are you aware, my dear
fellow, that you are in a place of business--a venerable institution
sacred to the Muses--and that I have to live up to my reputation?"

"Oh, I thought you were boss of the whole concern," returned Cedric in
a discomfited tone. "You are pretty safe from visitors on such an
afternoon."

"Even if there are no clients, we have a minor prophet always on hand,"
replied Malcolm.